Branded
by jessiejlp1987
Summary: In a world where hunters are branded to one another to keep the bloodline strong, Skylar bears a mark that is identical to Dean Winchester's. Soon, she will be forced to hit the road and hunt with Dean...as his wife. Still young, is she ready to belong to a man who lives his life reckless; where killing, liquor, and other women are the only important aspects of his life?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural and its characters or storylines.**

 **Rated T for language and violence. May be switched to Rated M in later chapter.**

Skylar Evans moved her thumb along the small red mark on her thigh. It burned bright against her skin as she sat with her legs crossed against the floor of the living room, a fire blazing bright in the hearth. The mark was a hideous reminder of what she was, what she was destined to be, and whom she was destined to be with. A single tear slid from her left eye and she let it fall…fall onto the mark that had planned out her entire future before she was even born.

But she wasn't the only one who was cursed to go through life with the crimson blemish. Dean Winchester had one just like it.

The Winchesters were hunters; so were the Evan's.

Skylar told herself that if she ignored hunters, if she ignored all of the monsters that went bump in the night; that it would go away on its own. There was no reason why she couldn't live a normal life, marry a normal man, and have children without worrying about bringing them up in a dangerous and evil world.

But the reality was far different than her fantasy.

She could hear the raised voices coming from the kitchen. They were arguing…screaming.

"She's sixteen years old! Why don't you take a shot at being a father for once and stop trying to shove her off on me!"

"Her mother died when she was six years old and I have done nothing but put my life on hold to raise her. I had to stop hunting because there is no other family to take her in if I got killed."

"Looking for the father of the year award, Ike? Bite me," Dean said in a snarky tone, dripping with venom. "You didn't stop hunting. Not even close."

"But I'm not free to go anywhere I want the way you and Sam are."

"For God's sake! She's not a baby anymore. Pack up that shitty minivan and go hunt!"

"It's not that easy."

"It is that easy. No one told you to have a kid. And besides…Sam and I don't travel for shits and giggles. We have a job to do and we do it. Simple."

"Well, then. If it's so simple, then one more on the road won't be a problem, will it?"

Skylar had had enough. She jumped up and bolted, slamming the front door hard behind her. She had always been everyone's burden. The only person in her entire life that didn't treat her like some kind of plague had been her mother, and she was killed by a gin over ten years ago.

The cold air hit her bare arms and legs hard, making her instantly regret her decision to come outside before grabbing her jacket. It was too late to turn around now.

"Sky!"

The sound of Dean Winchester's yell drifted to her, his loud deep voice making her wince at the bite behind his bark.

"Sky!" he called again.

She picked up the pace, walking down the sidewalk. She wasn't sure where she was going, but gaining distance was her only option at the moment. Otherwise, she might scream, kick, throw a tantrum, or worse…cry. She would not cry in front of her father, and definitely not Dean.

"Skylar Grace!" he yelled while pounding on the hood of his '67 Chevy Impala. If he struck Baby, he was pissed. "Get your ass back here!"

She continued walking, knowing that she would have to deal with the repercussions later, but right now, distance was the only thing she craved.

* * *

"Fuck."

Dean Winchester watched Skylar walk down the street. He was half tempted to go after her, while another part of him wanted her to walk away and cool down.

Ike Evans was a complete jack ass that always treated his daughter like a second class citizen. No affection. No appreciation.

And while Dean was little better, he made sure to come around every few months to simply check up on her and buy them both massive bacon cheeseburgers at Don's Diner (extra bacon, of course). Those burgers were freaking amazing.

Ever since she was born, he had been branded with this mark on his hipbone that nearly glowed red. Try explaining that to hookups and attempting to pass it off as a birthmark. Hunters were paired off with one another in order to keep the blood line strong. Breeding with a regular civilian weakened the hunt and put the world in danger. His own mother, Mary, had denied her lineage and married his father. Except John had turned out to be one of the best hunters that ever lived. In the end, it had all worked out…or maybe it was a curse rather than a blessing.

But the whole "betrothed" aspect of these fucking marks were pointless. Hunters didn't breed anymore. Marriages from these marks were carried out from tradition and obligation. No one was crazy enough to actually bring a child into this evil world where real monsters roamed the earth. Eventually, hunters would be extinct and the world would die. It was bound to happen sooner rather than later.

It was only a matter of time.

Dean reluctantly walked back to the house slowly, taking one last glance down the street just in time to see Skylar storm around the corner.

This wasn't just a pop in to check up on his "child fiancé," "child bride,"…whatever the hell she was. There was actually a job in this town. Girls were disappearing, and after putting Sammy on the case, he discovered a man by the name of Richard Dobbs who died in the exact location where the disappearances had taken place. Sixty years ago, Dobbs had been accused of having some sick obsession with teenage girls, hiding their bodies until they died of malnourishment or asphyxiation, and then mutilated their bodies.

Sick fuck.

It sounded like their kind of case, and he just hoped it wasn't another case like the Bender's where it turned out to be humans. Human's man.

Humans were psychos. And despite Dobbs having been human at one point, Dean would much rather deal with the ghost persona now.

But watching Skylar take off made him nervous. She was kind of this spooks type, and while she was trained, she was a far cry from being Buffy.

She hit like a girl…something he knew about first hand. She didn't appreciate his sense of humor or derogatory comments.

She was a little spit fire, but her mouth was more likely to get her into trouble rather than keep her from it.

 _Damnit._

Dean jumped into his car and sped down the street, not letting up on the accelerator until Skylar came into view.


	2. Chapter 2

Skylar could hear the familiar humming of the Impala pulling up next to her. For a moment she actually thought that Dean would leave her be and realize that she wanted to be left alone. But she clearly gave him more credit than he deserved.

She risked a glance over at him to witness him peering through the open passenger side window, staring up at her expectantly, with one wrist draped over the steering wheel. They stayed like that for several moments as he drove slowly next to her fast paced walking.

"Get in the car, Sky."

She stayed silent.

Dean sighed. "We can do this all night, or we can go back to your house and pretend like this little tantrum of yours never existed."

"Or we can pretend like I never existed at all since that is clearly what you and my dad want."

Dean stopped the car despite Skylar's continued steps. However, she paused to look back, surprised that he would give up so easily. He exited the car, the street completely deserted aside from the two of them.

Instead of coming to stand next to her, he leaned on the hood of his car, his hands tucked into his leather jacket. "You look cold."

She shivered, not realizing how chilly she had been until that very moment.

"Walking warms me up and you're determined to stop me," she turned around to leave again. "Just let me go, Dean."

"Why do you think I come to see you like clockwork?"

Without missing a beat, she turned to face him and said, "Don's burgers and that skank waitress we all know you're fucking."

Dean's face twisted in amusement, his handsome features raised in surprise. Skylar watched his full lips cock into a smirk before nodding his head slightly in agreement.

"I don't give you enough credit, Baby Girl. You're more observant than I thought."

"Observant?" she guffawed. "It doesn't take much when you ask her out right in front of the person. Of course I noticed."

"And is that why you're mad? Because I like to have a little fun when I'm in town?"

Skylar rolled her eyes, feeling the anger boil up inside her. "I can give a rat's ass about some man whore's definition of fun. You and I both know that you don't come to town to see me."

Dean rubbed his temples, taking a slow breath to calm down before speaking his words. "You're my responsibility. Yes, I like to eat…yes, I like sex…yes, there is a job in town as we speak…but like it or not, you're stuck with me. It's time you got use to that."

"But you just told my dad…"

"I know what I told him. And he _is_ trying to shove you off on me. We aren't supposed to be together until you're at least eighteen, and even then, I think you should go to college first."

"College," she lifted a dark eyebrow in surprise. She folded her arms defensively before speaking. "You hated Sam for going off to college."

He nodded his head in agreement. "True. But mostly it had to do with him and dad fighting over it. I would have preferred it if he had stayed in the family business rather than force me to take a side."

"You know, my parents were younger than me when they got together," Skylar said with a shrug, trying to say her piece nonchalantly.

Dean seemed surprised by her sudden declaration and subject change, but quickly recovered. "And your dad wasn't 12 years older than your mom, either."

"So," she said while avoiding his intense green eyed stare at all costs.

"So…what are you saying?"

She sighed, "All I'm saying is that through all of the fights that you and my dad seem to go through, not once did you ever ask me what I want."

"No disrespect, Baby Girl, but you're just a kid."

"And that's the problem. You guys treat me like I'm still a child. Well, I'm not!" she stomped her foot in retaliation.

Dean's lips quirked once again. "I see that."

"I hate you," she ground out. Skylar turned her back to him, rocking back on the heels of her feet.

"No you don't," he said in a self-assured manner. "And I'm going to play into your hands right now, and ask you…what do you want?"

She whipped her head around, surprised. Maybe it a trick…a joke. "It's not like you'll actually take me seriously."

"Try me," Dean said in a low voice, barely above a whisper. He began sauntering towards her shivering form, shrugging out his leather jacket and placing it around her shoulders. "What…do…you…want?"

"I think I hate my dad more than I hate you."

His eyes danced with amusement. However, there remained a trace of seriousness behind the green depth.

"Meaning," he urged on.

"Meaning…I just want to be left alone. That's what I want."

Dean swallowed, the strain in his neck obvious. Several emotions passed over his features before he landed on his usual carefree look. "You know we can't do that."

"And why not."

"You know why not," Dean said. He grabbed her by her bare thigh, causing her to yelp and grab hold of his firm body for support.

"Let me go!" she shrieked.

"This damn mark is why I can't leave you alone. Whether we like it or not, you…belong…to…me."

"I don't belong to anyone," Skylar said in a defiant tone, her lips pursed in distain.

"That's where you're wrong. Whether you like or not…and no matter how dated branding may be…you belong to me. So deal with it," he growled out his last words.

She was frozen in place by the anger and possessiveness he displayed. His anger had always scared her, but in turn, she always found herself riveted by this beautiful man.

"Then just get it over with, and take me with you."

"I will…when you're older."

"And why not now? What's the difference?"

He chuckled low, his hand grabbing her by her loose dark hair, pulling her head back in a rough gesture.

Her face was a mere inch from his own, and despite his manhandling, she was more intrigued than frightening.

"Two years. That's the difference."

"It's not a crime to take me with you."

Dean let go of her hair, pushing her head to the side so that she had to take several steps backwards to catch her balance.

"You're too damn innocent for your own good."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Get in the car."

Before she could say anything else, Dean got into the driver's seat and revved the engine, waiting for her to get inside. Reluctantly, she opened the door and slid into the cool leather, the soft sounds of Bob Seger drifting to her ears. He began driving straight down the road rather than turning around, taking the long way home.

"I'll have to marry you if I take you with me."

His voice was barely above a whisper, Skylar was unsure if she heard him correctly. She hesitated.

"You don't have…"

"I do. I can't have you with me if we don't do this right."

"And that's what you and my dad were fighting about in the kitchen?"

"He's willing to just hand you off," Dean clenched tight to the steering wheel, his anger beginning to surface once again. "If he wanted me to watch out for you while he went wild…went hunting, then whatever. But he wants to pass you off to me. He wants to leave and never look back, and that means that it's over. He wants me to marry you now so that he can cut all ties."

Skyler pulled Dean's leather jacket closer to her shivering body, unsure of what to say. He just told her that her father wanted nothing to do with her. Ike's distain for his daughter was evident, but hearing what he had spoken to Dean about that she, herself, had not been aware of, was entirely different. She was shocked into silence. Embarrassed.

"And will you?"

"Will I what?" Dean said with a quick glance her way.

"Marry me? Now?"

"That's the last thing I want," he shook his head heavy and then breathed deep. "But I will."

Skylar tried her best to hold back her tears.

"Okay."


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, the lady judge pulled Skylar aside to the obvious contempt of her future husband and father. She could have sworn Dean had whispered to the other man, "told you we would get arrested for this."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" the judge said in a concerned hushed tone.

"Excuse me?"

"I have to ask to make sure you aren't being forced into anything. You're sixteen years old. If you're afraid to say anything, just give me a sign and this will all be over."

Skylar appreciated the concern, but honestly, she would much rather go through with it instead of listen to her father bitch. She had never seen him so happy to be rid of her. His blue eyes had been lit up ever since they stormed into the house the previous night to say that she was going with Dean. For the first time in her life, he felt freedom within reach.

"I'm not being forced."

"Then you're telling me that you love this grown man?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat at the mention of love.

"He's 'ight."

She instantly kicked herself. The least she could have done was stretch the truth and claim that she was crazy about him.

"He's…alright?" The judge repeated slowly to solidify how stupid of an answer that really was.

"I mean…" she tried to recover. "Look at him?" she pointed in his direction, causing the judge to follow her gesture. Dean was casually leaning against the brick wall, his dark tight jeans hanging low on his lean hips. His black shirt clung to his body invitingly, and no women alive could be immune to Dean Winchester. He was a walking piece of sex.

It would be accurate to call him pretty. He was much prettier than any women she had ever seen. However, he was also masculine and dangerous. He had everything going for him...that is, if you discount his gluttony, perversions, and alcoholism.

The other women cocked her head to the side with a disapproving look, despite the nod in agreement.

"Handsome fades little missy…it's no reason to marry anyone."

At the tone and usage of "little missy," Skylar lowered her gaze in contempt and stared up at the judge with annoyance. "I'm getting married…and that's, that." She stalked off, refusing to be told what to do.

* * *

Dean looked down into the fresh young face of Skylar.

He had to admit that she looked adorable and had put in way more effort to look good than he did. He refused to wear his fake FBI suit to get married in. He hated wearing that suit.

Skylar had her brown hair pulled back into a tight French braid, and she wore a bright yellow sun dress that made her skin pop.

As the judge read the vows, she shifted from foot to foot, looking anywhere but at him until he officially said the words, "I will."

He was surprised to watch her perk up a bit and listen more closely when the judge asked her the same question and she replied, "I will." The rest of the short ceremony went by in a blur. Dean didn't have a ring to give her, which awarded him the evil eye from the protective judge who had wanted to murder him the second they walked in and asked to be married.

Dean supposed he should have dropped by a pawn shop this morning to get her one. He would have to do that soon.

When it came time to kiss the bride, they both froze. _Shit._

Through all of the chaos, this little detail had slipped his mind. He had never kissed her before…for obvious reasons. He wasn't sure if she had ever been kissed at all.

He leaned down, pausing for her to come the rest of the way up, but she continued waiting, her blue eyes darting from side to side in a panic. It was hard not to snicker at her obvious discomfort.

Dean placed a small kiss on her cheek, next to her mouth so that a small portion of her lips were included. He wasn't sure if it counted if the lips weren't' included.

This way, her wedding, in front of her soon-to-be estranged father and the judgy judge, wouldn't witness his new bride's first kiss. It just didn't seem right.

Afterwards, they signed the license and walked down the long court steps to the Impala in silence…all three of them. Skylar leapt into the passenger seat without saying one word to Ike, though he couldn't blame her.

When the older man began walking over, Dean stepped in front of him. "Leave her alone, Ike."

"I raised that girl. The least she can do is tell her old man goodbye."

"I would use that term _raised_ lightly. You don't give a shit about her and we both know it."

"Don't you try to tell me how I feel. She's still my daughter…"

"And she's my wife! That's what you wanted. You just signed over any rights that you had to her, and mark my words, I will kill you if I ever see you again. The only reason you're still breathing after all these years is because foster care might have sucked more than you did."

Ike's fists balled up, and Dean was prepared to get punched. Though, he was more than prepared to finish it. After years of arguing with the man, and never actually laying a hand on him, he would welcome the fight, though the middle of the day outside of a courthouse was not an ideal place to brawl.

They held each other's gaze for several moments, neither determined to give in. Finally, Ike turned around and leapt into his minivan and drove off. Dean let out the breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

Good riddance.

Recovering quickly, Dean took his cell out of his back pocket.

He supposed it was time to let Sammy know that he was a married man.


	4. Chapter 4

"What do you mean you married her?"

"There's only one thing I can mean, Sammy."

"But she's just a kid!"

"Yeah, I get that, thanks. I wish everyone would stop reminding me for two seconds."

"Why in the hell did you do it?"

"You know how Ike is," Dean replied, causing the other end of the line to go silent. Finally, his little brother spoke.

"It got that bad, huh?"

"I guess you could say that. It's just easier to marry her now and get rid of the man then put up with him anymore."

"I understand," Sam agreed in a quiet tone. Dean could hear the tapping keys of Sam's laptop reach his ears. Sam continued. "So you're really bringing her on the road with us?"

"That's the idea," Dean said in an obvious tone.

"And what? You're suddenly going to straighten up?"

Dean furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to speak, shut it quickly, and opened it once more.

"What does straightening up have to do with marriage?"

Sam chuckled. "This is a joke, Dean. You know I love Skylar, but let's be honest…you're going to be one shitty husband."

 _Shitty husband, my ass._

"If you're referring to my obsession with loose women and whisky…go screw yourself."

"All I'm saying is that you will never be satisfied with one women, and you know I'm right. Skylar is gorgeous, but she's not exactly 'worldly' if you get my drift."

Dean mimicked his brother's words in the phone, half way through, hanging up. The last thing he needed was for his kid brother to tell him exactly what he had already been thinking.

But in all honestly, maybe at 28, he had sewed his wild oats enough to calm down and be a one women man, even if that one women was Skylar.

He didn't have any intention of actually sleeping with her though. The whole thought felt wrong. So he supposed that living like a monk for a while would do his body some good. Cleanse the soul?

Eh, who was he kidding?

* * *

 **Later that night…**

Skylar's wedding day was nothing like she had pictured countless times before.

She had been set up, kidnapped, buried alive, and the gash in her stomach hurt like a son-of-a-bitch. She fucking hated hunting with a passion.

Skylar stared at her reflection, barley recognizing the girl that stared back at her. Only moments ago, they were in the woods fighting a vengeful spirit before salting and burning the remains. It was no easy task finding that assholes remains, but somehow they managed it.

On the outside (or inside for that matter), Dean didn't appear to be too bright unless he was 'in the zone.' The guy was amazing at what he did, that much she couldn't deny.

A knock on the bathroom door jolted her out of her thoughts. She cleared her throat.

"Come in."

Dean walked in, holding a tool box from the trunk of his car. When he opened it, it was full of medical supplies. "Prepared for anything, huh?" Skylar said with a wry smile.

"No time for hospitals, Sweetheart," he said. "Lemme take a look."

He sat on the edge of the tub, grabbing her by the wrist to bring her forward. He lifted up her tank top. She winced at the sudden pain in her side as he inspected the wound.

"Rubbing alcohol or whisky. Your choice."

"Hmmm," she was half listening, her vision beginning to blind from the pain."

"I have to clean it. What's your poison?"

"Ehhh," Skylar ground out. "How about non-stingy antiseptic."

"Nope."

She rolled her eyes. "I guess whisky. Do _not_ putting rubbing alcohol on it."

"Yes, maam," Dean grinned at her assertive tone despite the situation. "Here. Drink."

Dean handed her a bottle of whisky. "I thought you were gonna put it on the giant gash in my side. I don't want to drink that."

"I'm going to do both. And stop being so dramatic. I've seen worse."

"Seeing as you've been to hell and died more times than I can count, I know you have. Doesn't make it hurt any less."

Just then, Dean pressed his thumb into the gash, causing her to scream in agony. "Drink!"

"Bastard," she growled. Reluctantly, Skylar brought the large bottle full of amber liquid to her lips and took a long drink. It burned all the way down, making her gag in reflex.

"Good girl," Dean said as he took the bottle and splashed a large amount on her wound while she was distracted by the taste.

She screamed again. "Shhhhh," Dean hushed in a tone that was meant to be soothing; and for her to shut up.

Luckily, he worked quickly on the gash, placing a large white bandage on her abdomen and securing it tightly in place.

"All done," he said while slowly putting her bloodied shirt down over the gash.

Skylar was feeling nauseous; threats of vomiting were beginning to come to the surface. "I think I'm dying," she said wearily while clenching at her stomach.

She felt Dean's strong hold on her hips. "It's your first real battle wound, Baby Girl. The pains liable to make you see white lights and puke your guts out. When you become immune to pain, like I am, it'll get easy to take a hit."

"This isn't…a hit," she swallowed the bile rising in her throat. "I can take a punch. I can't take it when fucking monsters grip you from the outside and try to rip your guts out!"

Threw her blurred vision, she could see Dean smirk at her outburst, though he continued to keep a tight hold of her. "Sit down before you have an aneurism."

"I'm fine," she lied.

"Sit…down," he jerked her backwards until she sat on his leg. Skylar was too weak to protest.

"I don't feel good," she finally said in a soft tone that came out much whinier than she had anticipated.

"I know."

"I need to puke."

"I know."

Dean lifted the toilet seat just in time for her to lean forward and empty her stomach. It seemed like they spend hours like that until her vision went completely black and she lost consciousness.

* * *

Dean lifted the remaining whisky to his lips and looked down at Skylar's form. She would probably be passed out until morning.

Considering her reluctance to fully embrace the hunter's life, Dean had to admit that she did a really good job of 'distracting' the spirit until he was able to get the location of the remains. With no marker, that had been no easy task. She had been buried…hence the ghosts obsession with 'death by asphyxiation.' And before Dean had burned and salted the remains, apparently the damn thing had taken a chunk out of her while she was still lying in a coffin.

That's when a burst of flames had highlighted her darkened tomb. If Dean had been any later, she could have been killed. Married 16 hours, and he almost got her killed already.

This was going to be a long…life.

Dean sighed and came to stand over her body, contemplating her disheveled and bloody form. "Sky?" he whispered. "Sky," he said again, waiting for a response that never came.

Opening up her pink duffle bag, he reached inside and found a night shirt that had a sleeping bear with a night cap on. Bunching up the fabric, he brought the shirt to his forehead and breathed deep before chuckling in astonishment.

"This whole situation is a cluster fuck."

Dean rose from the spot, and without thinking, gingerly took off her tank top, replacing it with the clean shirt. He went on to rub the blood from her body with a wet wash cloth, closely watching her breathing for any signs of struggle. He saw none. She was only passed out and would be fine.

Sam had been in the same situation more times than he could count, and not even then did Dean worry like he was worried now. A 6'4 Sasquatch was a lot easier to not worry about than some 120 pound teenager.

The clock on the bed stand read 3 am, and if he was lucky, he could catch a few hours' sleep before heading to Minnosota, where Sam was currently working a case. Over the years, Sam rarely made the trip to Illinios with Dean in order to see Skylar.

He thought the trips were pointless. However, Sam's branded bitch was currently living in Louisiana. She was some psycho that was all into this 'girl power' shit and refused to do what she was supposed to.

With all of Dean's faults, he had reluctantly did what he had to, and that's watch out for the little Princess with a mean daddy. It sounded like a fucked up fairytale.

Dean laid down next to her sleeping form, watching her steady breathing for nearly an hour before drifting off into a restless sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: Part of this chapter contains scenes from Season 4 Episode 6: Yellow Fever. This chapter is spread out a little bit and meant to move things along. Thank you for the kind reviews so far! I agree that I don't see many, if any, Supernatural stories like this one. Considering how many fanfictions are posted each day, it's kind of surprising!**

Dean contemplated his entire life in this one moment, wondering how he got to this point. A little over a month ago, he had been in hell, and right now, this situation was much worse.

"Yeah, can I get a large…vanilla coffee…milk…"

"I said Venti Iced…

"What in the hell is a Venti?"

"A large, but not too large," Skylar affirmed in a matter-of-fact voice.

"They get the fuckin' idea."

"Dean!"

"Ehhhhhh…"

Dean leaned back towards the speaker in the drive thru.

"Venti, Iced…"

"Sugar-free…" Skylar prompted slowly.

"Sugar-free," he rolled his eyes.

"Vanilla latte with soy milk."

"Vanilla latte with soy milk." Dean finished with a wry look, turning a steely eyed gaze towards his passenger seat companion.

The Starbucks employee repeated the order at an unnaturally fast pace. "That's a ventiicedsugar-freevanillalattewithsoymilk…can I get you anything else?"

Dean shook his head to clear the confusion from his mind. "Um, black coffee and Double-smoked Bacon, Cheddar and Egg Sandwich."

"Size for your coffee?"

Dean wasn't going to go through that again. "Surprise me."

"You're total is $15.95. Please pull forward."

Dean put the Impala in drive. "16 bucks for one sandwich and two coffees? Highway robbery."

"Stop bitching."

"And when do you start ordering stuff without sugar and real milk? Usually, you eat like a man."

"I only eat like that when I'm around you. I always gain 5 pounds when you come to town." Skylar lifted her shirt to adjust the bandage on her abdomen. "And considering our current state of affairs, you may have a 300 pound wife by the end of the year."

"Well, you better hit the bricks with Sammy every morning, because I can't lug a chubby girl around to a vampire raid. Even fit, you suck in a fight."

"Bite me."

Dean clicked his teeth together in a biting motion, smiling.

They pulled out onto the highway, and surprisingly, the 7 hour drive to Maple Grove, Minnesota was not half bad. He was thankful that Skylar wasn't a big talker and actually enjoyed his taste in music. Maybe over the years, he had had a positive effective on her in some way or another.

She didn't even seem to mind it when he pushed Baby to 100 on a long stretch of deserted road.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all…but those Starbucks runs had to go.

* * *

"Janis Joplin…Stevie Nicks…people actually believe this crap?"

"You'd be surprised," Sam said with a shrug.

Skylar looked down at her new fake badges with a frown. While it was cool seeing her face on a badge that said FBI and Homeland Security, it was a little disturbing to see her 14 year old self staring back at her while honing a fake famous name. These were awful.

"Isn't this my Halloween pic from 2 years ago? I'm dressed like Cher from Clueless and grinning like an idiot."

"It'll work in a pinch. It's the only photo I could find of you on Dean's other, other…other phone. No one actually pays attention to the picture, only the department you're from."

"Dean had a picture of me?" She mentally kicked herself for blurting out the question, instantly gaining a half smile from her new brother-in-law as he sat back down at the table and reopened his lap top.

"Guess so…"

Skylar remembered when the photo had been taken. Two years ago, she went trick-or-treating with a group of friends, and Dean had shown up on her door step without any warning. He was good at that.

She remembered him demanding she stay…that it wasn't safe. And when she went anyway, he had trailed behind her, but not before giving her shit for going trick-or-treating in the first place. He had even whipped out his phone to capture the embarrassing moment, but she gave him a dazzling smile instead to show that she didn't care if he tried to mortify her.

But on the other hand…good thing he doesn't know how to use social media.

She also remembered him eating half of her candy and passing out on the bean bag chair in the corner of her bedroom. It had been a good night.

She shook her head to come back to reality as Dean strolled into the small motel room located next to Arbor Lake. The scent of fresh water air hit her like a brick and refreshed her senses. However, the breeze from the water made the October air biting against her skin. Dean shut the door with his left boot as he strolled in with bags full of ammunition like they were groceries.

"Let's get this show on the road!"

He opened the bag and began loading salt rounds like his life depended on it…but if you really thought about it…their lives _did_ depend on it.

* * *

 **A week later…Rockridge, Colorado**

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA."

"That was scary!"

Sam walked away with an amazed look while Skylar couldn't help but bust out laughing. She shut the abandoned locker with a loud bang, causing Dean to jump and clutch at his chest before following his brother out of the room, armed with a…flash light.

Ghost sickness. Who actually comes down with _ghost sickness_?

"This has to be the best day of my life."

"Ah!" Dean jumped at the sound of her voice. "Don't sneak up on someone like that."

She shook her head and chuckled again before raising her salt gun to follow the guys around the corner.

Currently, her husband of 8 days, who wasn't afraid of anything, was going to die of a heart attack (literally), if they didn't gank the ghost that started this whole thing. She had already hunted 3 ghosts in a week. Would it kill the monster world to throw something corporeal at her that could actually die the old fashion way…like a shot to the head?

Finding a picture of Frank's wife, the man who had been the first to die of the sickness, Dean ripped it up from the table that it was stuck to. Machines in the old abandoned lumber yard building began to come alive.

These machines hadn't been used in decades. That couldn't be a good sign.

Suddenly, Dean's faced paled as he stared at the corner with a look of terror in his eyes. A gigantic man was standing silently. Sam began to etch towards their target with the salt gun aimed high. It was at that moment that their brave hero, Dean Winchester, decided to bolt. She had to admit that watching him run away like a scared little girl wasn't getting old.

It was a like watching a bad comedy where the asshole antagonist got his comeuppance.

Before she glanced away, a shot rang out. Sam had fired at the ghost, the apparition gone. She had to admit, poor Sam was stuck hunting with some dead weight right now.

"Oops. Guess I should pay attention, huh?"

Sam smiled sheepishly. "Nothing I can't handle."

On the bright side, Sam and she hadn't come down with the amusing disease. Apparently only dicks did. This whole situation was getting funnier and funnier. It solidified what she already knew; that dean was a jack ass.

As they made their way out of the building, they found Dean hunched down behind the Impala chugging liquor. What's new?

Throughout the day, they had visited the police station for a second time, visited the vengeful ghosts brother where Skylar cried after hearing the story of how he died (making her second guess killing this thing at all…if it weren't for Dean's imminent death,) listened to Dean rant about how insane we were for being hunters, and watched him get chased by a tiny terrier down a back alley.

The next morning, when they began to run out of time, Sam decided the best course of action was to grab Bobby and take this thing down. Holding up inside yet another small motel room, she watched Dean hallucinate, panic, and nearly scratch himself to death.

What had first been funny was turning sad very quickly. Even Skylar was beginning to worry. The man that cheater death more than God himself was about be taken out like this. It just didn't seem right.

When she ran across the street to grab lunch, she came back to find the Sheriff lying dead on the floor and Dean resting on his back in relief. By the body language, she could tell he was alright. Sam and Bobby must have taken care of it.

"You better not have forgotten the pie."


	6. Chapter 6

Dean sat in a darkened bar that was nearly empty, shooting shots like his life depended on it. It was nearly impossible to get drunk any more. His liver was completely shot.

Sam had given up saying anything about his excessive drinking, simply glad to have his brother back from hell. Dean had to admit that his love affair with alcohol had escalated since he'd been back. Despite pushing those feelings down deep, his time in the pit continued to haunt him day and night.

Castiel, the angel who raised him from perdition, claimed that there was a bigger purpose for him being risen from the dead. What in the hell did heaven want with him? It had been a question plaguing his mind for weeks on end.

Dean kept his head bent, tipping his empty shot glass side to side as he continued contemplating his entire existence.

He could sense the bartender looking at him. She had been cleaning the same spot for nearly 5 minutes as he ignored her at all costs. It was probably his disinterest that made her determined to get his attention. In a last ditch effort, she slid him another shot.

"On the house," she said in a tone that he hadn't heard from a women in weeks.

Without a word, he downed it, flipping it upside down. Dean rose his eyes to the women in her mid-twenties, lifting an eyebrow in question.

"Bad night?"

"That's an understatement," he countered.

"Well…I get off at 11." Without thinking, Dean checked his watch, realizing that it was only 10 minutes from now. Any other time, he would be hitting on her so fast that her head would be spinning. She was hot…that much was apparent.

Before marrying Skylar, he hadn't given any thought to her when he would hookup with random women. As long as he didn't become attached, what was the big deal? He hated to admit it, but he never had any intention of actually sticking to his vows after the wedding either. He was a man after all. How could he possibly stay celibate?

Over the past few weeks, they had fought and spoke seething words towards one another. They had hunted and killed (she was already improving,) and they had laughed and cried. They weren't exactly bonding on the deepest of levels, but it could be worse.

More importantly, they were annoying Sammy with their non-stop singing to the same 5 albums that he always had on repeat.

But after 3 weeks of wedded 'bliss,' Dean was faced with his first temptation. It was the first time he had been alone without Skylar or Sam on his heels. It was too easy…the way women threw themselves at him. He hadn't even said one word to her before she was ready to take off her clothes.

Dean rolled his eyes beneath his hand that was resting on his forehead. Honestly, he didn't see it as a big deal.

Of course, if he went along with this women, whose name he did not know, he would be proving Sam right. That he was a horrible husband, even though he would not be winning any words regardless any time soon.

Dean picked up his jacket and stood, jerking his head to the side for her to follow.

* * *

Skylar laid in bed, watching the bright red light of the clock move once again. 3:34…3:35…3:36…3:37. It was taunting her with every click.

Sam was snoring lightly in the bed next to her, oblivious to his brother's absence as he slept blissfully. However, before going to bed, he had given her a sad look that only made her angry. She didn't need pity, especially where Dean was involved.

In 3 weeks, this was the first time he had been gone all night. She supposed that she should be happy by this statistic, but her nerves were not eased by this reality.

4:21…4:22…4:23

What bothered her more than anything was that she wasn't sure if he was alive or dead, blacked out drunk, or with another women. No option sounded appealing. And as a pain of jealousy hit her hard, she became angry. She refused to be jealous over a man who couldn't keep it in his pants if his life depended on it.

If she let herself be overcome with jealousy, then her life would be more torturous than it had already been.

At some point, she allowed herself to drift off into a restless sleep.

* * *

Dean sauntered into the motel room at half past 7; his sunglasses shading his eyes from the blaring sun. The darkened room was a big relief to his sense. His head hurt like son-of-a bitch. He supposed that alcohol had some kind of effect on him if he was still able to get hungover and sleep like a baby.

Dean shut the door quietly, determined not to make much noise for the benefit of his own pounding head.

It didn't take him long to notice Sam roaming around the room, collecting their bags to hit the road. He ignored the accusing glare from his little brother,

He gave Sam the finger as he walked to the sink, bent over, and splashed his face with ice cold water.

He could feel bile begin to rise in his throat, but quickly swallowed it down.

"Long night?" Sam said. Dean glared at his brother through the mirror, not missing the angry gaze and crossed arms.

"You think?"

Sam shook his head, walking away before saying anything else. It was apparent that he clearly thought Dean was a lost cause and there was no reason to argue the point. Maybe he was right. He was a lost cause and everyone needed to try and stop changing the person that he was. He had always been the same, even as a teenager.

Splashing his face again, the steam of the bathroom hit him like a shot. Even the shampoo that reached his nostrils made his stomach recoil. Usually he loved the apple sent of Skylar's hair, but right now, he wanted to throw up.

He groaned audibly.

Skylar slammed the bathroom door shut intentionally. Dean winced, but said nothing. He cocked his head to the side and offered a sideways grin, turning on any charm that he had left in his body.

"Morning, Baby Girl."

"Eat me," she seethed.

"Tempting, but I feel like shit right now. Rain check?"

"I fucking hate you," she stomped away and out of the motel room before coming back inside to grab a credit card from their stack. She slammed the door shut once more, causing his brain to rattle in response.

"No you don't," he said quietly to no one in particular.


	7. Chapter 7

Skylar could feel Dean's gaze on her as he stared at her through the rearview mirror with softened eyes.

Silently, Skylar was still seething and she couldn't seem to come down from her anger. She chose to not speak at all. She was terrified of saying something that she might regret…something that might sound like she cared.

Several times throughout the day, she felt that Dean was about to say something, only to close his mouth and look over at Sam. It's like he didn't want to appear vulnerable in front of his brother. Heaven forbid he apologize and look weak.

He pulled into a motel; similar to every other place that they stayed in night after night.

Sam continued to sleep in the passenger seat while Dean went inside to get their room. Skylar chose to stay inside the Impala with her arms crossed. She was looking forward to a bath and sleep. All she could think about was escaping from this day. It had been the worst day on the road so far.

Dean came back to the Impala and jerked the door open on the passenger side, causing Sam to fall out.

"Dean?! What the hell are you going?"

The door slammed and she couldn't hear what they were talking about. She could see Dean hand his brother a key, causing Sam to point and shake his head in disapproval. After several more heated words exchanged, Sam grabbed a single bag from the trunk and took off towards their room.

She got out of the Impala, racing to catch up before Dean's sharp bite stopped her dead in her tracks. "Sky!"

She turned around, watching as Dean motioned for her to follow in the opposite direction. She looked between Dean and Sam, feeling the sudden urge to run for her life.

 _He can't be serious?_

She followed slowly behind, not saying anything until she was sure of what was happening. When he opened the door to a room…a room that Sam had not entered…she stayed riveted in place.

"I'm not going in there," Skylar said wearily.

"Inside…now."

"No," she said in defiance. She hated to be told what to do.

"I don't have time for this," he said with indignation while dropping the bags where he stood. He lifted her over his shoulder, causing her kick and scream. This was the first time she had ever been manhandled in her life, and she had to admit that she didn't care for it despite being embarrassed to concede that Dean's flexing back was quiet impressive.

Soon, Skylar found herself bouncing on the bed as he flung her down. He held her hands above her head until she stopped fighting, and while she tried to release his hold on her, it was no use. Though she was getting better at hunting, she was still weak.

She realized that fighting his hold on her was futile and stopped struggling. She looked up at Dean with trepidation.

"You have been a little bitch all day, and I'm tired of it."

"I've been a bitch?" she said exasperated. "This whole thing started because of you!"

Dean let go of her wrists and sat up, running both hands through his short hair and over his face. He sighed.

"Sky," he began. "I don't want to fight. I have too much shit going on in my life. Adding a marital dispute to the mix is the last thing I need."

She knew he was referring to the angel's and their obsession with his destiny…to Alastaire's sudden appearance and his recent confession of his time in hell that he had endured for 40 years, not 4 months. For a moment she felt guilty for giving him a hard time, but he was the one who stayed out all night without so much as a phone call.

"You could have called," she said, speaking her last thought aloud.

"Dean looked at her sideways, trying to decipher what she was saying. "When? Last night?"

She nodded lightly, barely moving her head.

"What did you want me to say? That I was in the middle of fucking up?"

His voice broke, which made her wince. It was rare when she heard anything but anger or humor coming from his lips.

"How?" she asked, instantly regretting that decision.

Dean groaned as he rose, taking his shirt off and throwing it to the floor. Her mouth went dry at the sight. She hadn't been alone with him since the first night after their wedding; after he had gently bandaged her up when she was wounded.

Somehow without Sam present, the sight of her husband's bare chest held a whole new meaning.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat, anxiously waiting for his reply.

"I left with someone," he began, causing a ringing in her ears and lightheadedness that threatened to make her head explode. "And I know what you're thinking. No, I didn't sleep with her."

Skylar wasn't sure she heard him correctly.

"What?" she asked for affirmation.

"I didn't…sleep with her," he repeated slowly. "I almost did. Got to her place and everything."

"Why did you stop?"

"Why do you think?" he laughed exasperated. "Come on, Sky. You're sixteen…not stupid."

Skylar rose to her knees and leaned forward. "But you hate me?"

"I don't hate you, you're _the_ one that hates _me_ …I'm annoyed by you," he smiled. "There's a difference."

"I only hate you sometimes," she said quietly.

Dean undid the belt on his pants, chuckling at her response. He nodded.

"I guess that's a small improvement."

Skylar's eyes traveled to his expert fingers as they undid the clasp, both sides of this belt hanging down from his hips. It wasn't until he unbuttoned the top of his pants that she forced herself to glance away. Her entire body was flushed and shaking. She was on the verge of freaking out.

Had he no clue what he was going?

First, her husband tells her that he didn't cheat on her like she had thought and now he was teasing her with his body. By the look on his face, she could tell he was doing it on purpose. Maybe not at first, but now he was taunting her. He enjoyed the rise he was getting out of her, and she slightly hated…no, not hated…disliked him for it.

"So did anything happen?"

"She kissed me," he said honestly, his voice low, expecting her to freak out again. "But I pushed her off and left."

"Why didn't you come back to the room?"

"I was halfway home before I realized that not even I am even immune to a dozen shots," he laughed. "I guess I was more drunk than I thought; pulled over and slept it off."

Dean sauntered to her, a look of hunger and sadness in his eyes that she had never seen before. "I'm sorry I didn't call."

"Mmhmm," she croaked out, scared to speak in the moment.

"Are you okay?" Dean said earnestly as he tilted her chin upwards, rubbing a thumb along her bottom lip.

She nodded her head, but she wasn't sure she would ever be alright again. Her entire body was betraying her in that moment, and if he kept going, she wasn't exactly sure what would happen.

Dean grabbed her by the back of her neck and bent his head low. Skylar's breathing picked up the closer he got to her face. This was too much. How had she been given the most attractive man to ever grace the universe? It was too much to comprehend.

She pulled back when his lips were a mere centimeter away, but stayed close. Dean continued holding the back of her neck, pausing at her hesitancy.

"You might not like it," she spoke honestly, warning him before it was too late to turn back.

Dean smirked. "Trust me, you don't have to worry about that."

When his lips touched her own, her hesitancy was gone, returned by a need that she never knew existed.

She allowed him to guide her with his mouth. His perfect lips were even more perfect…soft while touching her.

He gave her long, slow kisses at first, letting her get use to the taste of him before deepening it further. Her head was spinning, and it if hadn't been for his strong hold on her body, she wouldn't have been able to stay upright.

She could feel his tongue run across her lips, begging her for entry. It was like he was asking for permission before taking control of her completely. She opened her mouth slightly, surprised to find that her center came alive even more as he used slow strokes to move in out of her mouth.

It's like he was mimicking…

The groan that escaped his throat made her want him even more.

Dean used the hand that had been placed on the small of her back to grab her ass, causing her to whimper in surprise. They didn't break the kiss, but she could feel him smiling against her mouth.

To her disappointment, he pulled back to look at her, his forehead resting against her own.

He gave her one last peck that was the softest sensation, she couldn't be sure if it happened at all. He kissed the tip of her nose…the side of her neck…and then backed away.

The emptiness she felt was scary. And it was all because of one kiss.

"How was it?" he asked, already knowing her answer. His cockiness was back with a vengeance despite the concern that still hid behind his green eyes.

She couldn't find her voice as her eyelashes touched her cheek and she took a deep breath to compose herself. At that moment, she didn't care how she looked in front of Dean. For the first time, she felt content like the build up to one gigantic climax had just been quenched…sort of.

She could feel Dean's breath on her face though she kept her eyes closed. "I'm going to take a shower, Baby Girl." He gave her one last kiss on her cheek before the door quietly clicked closed to the bathroom.

* * *

Dean let the cold water rush over him in waves, willing for his body to calm down and untighten.

He had not meant to kiss her, but watching her watch him had been his undoing.

It was a rise that he had never gotten out of her, and for a moment, he began to wonder if she was the first women to actually be immune to his looks and charm.

But when he absentmindedly went to undo his belt, her eyes were riveted to him. He had seen that look before from other women...many, many times. It was a look that both scared and thrilled him. And while he was glad that his little wife had finally shown her hunger, it was too terrifying to comprehend. If she wasn't the one saying no, then what the hell was going to happen?

He couldn't answer that question. The whole situation was wrong.

"For God sake – she's just a kid," he said to himself in exasperation. He felt guilty, but in all honesty, she felt nothing like a girl. Before he went to hell, she had looked like she always had; pretty, but thin. When he came back, she was full of curves that were begging to be touched. How had things changed so much in such a short amount of time?

She was pure perfection.

Dean turned the water off and wrapped a towel around his lean hips. The room was glowing from the television alone; Skylar laying in the bed watching, but not really looking.

Like before, her eyes were riveted to him as he put on his boxer-briefs beneath the towel. Her gaze was so intense that he was beginning to feel a little self-conscious. Dean couldn't remember a time in his life where he wasn't full of confidence.

He contemplated sleeping on the small loveseat by the corner. However, he would have to face facts eventually.

After tonight, there relationship would never be same.

Taking a soothing breath, Dean crawled beneath the covers and gave her a wry smile, taking her small hand into his. He kissed her fingertips, feeling her shake beneath his touch. Even his own breathing was ragged. Never in his life had he went to sleep in the same bed with a women and left them both unsatisfied…but there was a first time for everything.

Closing his eyes, he fell into the best sleep of his life.


	8. Chapter 8

Skylar skipped after Dean.

She quickly tucked her white blouse into her dress pants, touched up her hair, and did her best to look older than she actually was.

Surprisingly, Dean seemed to not be worried about it. He made of point of saying that he was a professional liar and there wasn't anything he couldn't talk his way out of it. She wasn't sure if that was actually a good thing or not.

This morning, they had found a note attached to the Impala. It had been from Sam, saying that he had decided to take some much needed time and would be leaving with Ruby. Ruby – a demon. He said that the 'needed' time was important and detrimental to their survival.

No matter Ruby's intentions, and no matter how many times Sam tried to defend her at all costs, something just didn't feel right. But that was to be expected. She was the very thing that they tried to rid this world of; an abomination.

In turn, Dean's mood was so sour that you would expect a lemon to pop out of his mouth at any moment. Any shared affection that they experienced last night had been instantly replaced when he realized that his brother had skipped town with the 'demon whore' that he hated so much.

In his mind, it was as if Sam had chosen Ruby over him. In a way, he had.

Dean whipped open the door to the mortuary, nearly hitting Skylar in the process. She dodged the door with a look of quiet irritation plastered on her face. However, when Dean was like this, it was best to simply stay out of his way and not speak.

Since Sam was gone, she was on deck. This was her first official order of business.

"Hello, what can I do you for you?"

"Agent Cash, and this is my partner Agent Carter – FBI."

Dean whipped out his badge expertly. Skylar fumbled for her own, pulling it from her purse, and opening it upside down. She correct the mistake, but not before both men noticed her embarrassing screw up.

 _Please don't look closely…please don't look closely._

The gentleman in a white coat sized her up with all of the scrutiny he could muster, she was sure. Sweat began to break out on her top lip.

"She's FBI?" he inquired doubtfully.

"Intern," Dean said without skipping a beat.

"Mmhmm."

Dean cleared his throat, "We're here to see Mark Jones."

"What does the FBI want with this case?"

"Please," Dean said in a tone that meant business. He indicated for the man to take him directly to the corpse. Without further hesitation, they entered the stark white room lined with drawers. The entire experience was eerie and she hadn't even come face to face with the victim yet.

"Mr. Jones passed away from Gastritis. His medical records state that he had suffered from ulcers for most of his adult life."

"Well, we can't be too careful," Dean said.

Hesitantly, the man opened one of the drawers that was at waist level, a white sheet covering Jones' body before he pulled it down half way.

Looking directly at the body, there were no obvious issues indicating foul play.

Shit. That meant they would have to go in.

"I believe my partner and I can take it from here."

"But…"

"Excuse us," Dean said sternly, staring the man down until he backed away and walked from the room.

Dean handed her a pair of gloves as he picked up a scalpel. Skylar yelped in surprise when he sliced open the man's stomach without any remorse for what he was doing. She knew that Sam usually handled the autopsies whenever they had to do it themselves.

Now she knew why.

Dean sliced deep and long, opened the ripe body wide and sticking a hand in deep.

"Hold out your hand," he instructed. Hesitantly, and with a grimace of disgust on her face, she did as she was told. However, he never placed anything into her palm. His face twisted in confusion as he opened the body wider and peered inside.

Dean stuck his hand in again, moving it around and never hitting any organs.

"Well, that's not normal," he said in a slightly comical tone.

Skylar leaned closer and peered inside herself. Mark Jones' insides were complete soup. His stomach…liver…intestines – everything. It's as if he had been melted from the inside.

"Witch?"

"That's my guess. I'm not sure what else could cause this to happen. Probably some pissed off women that decided to light his ulcer on fire. Witches man – they suck almost as much as human."

Dean ripped his coated gloves off, tossing them into a nearby trash can. He kicked the body back into its dark container and shut the door.

"Let's go. We have work to do."

* * *

 _If I were a hex bag, where would I be?_

After sitting beside the distraught widow of Mark Jones, Skylar had excused herself to the bathroom where Jones had been screaming the night before, clutching his stomach, claiming that it felt like he was on fire.

Having suffered from stomach issues prior, no one thought much of the issue – especially when Mrs. Jones admitted that he had eaten Thai food the night before. Some of that stuff was bound to naturally eat through the lining of your stomach anyway.

After searching every inch of the small bathroom, she was about to give up hope before catching a glimpse of the small vent in the floor that was partially covered by a pink furry rug. As the heat rushed into her face, she removed the cover and there, staring back at her, was a small burgundy hex bag.

She nearly screamed out that she had found it, but quickly caught herself. She had to remain professional.

Putting on a serious face, Skylar replaced the cover to the vent and went back into the living room, an uncomfortable Dean mindlessly patting the 60 year old women on the back as she cried into his chest.

Yet another task that was usually occupied by Sam.

Skylar couldn't help but snicker as he gave her a look that said, 'don't say a word, or so help me God.'

She held up the bag to indicate that she got it, realizing the instant relief on Dean's face as he backed away from the women and claimed that they had all the information they need – that they would stay in touch.

Once outside, Dean grabbed the bag and opened it, noting the contents with disgust. "I'll say it again. Witches are gross."

"I found it," Skylar sound with pride, noting the obvious.

"I see that," he held up the bag as confirmation that she had won the game of hide and seek.

Skylar's face fell. Would one positive word of praise kill him? She went to climb into the Impala, but he grabbed her by the wrist and shut the car door, pinning her against the exterior.

"Good job, Baby Girl." Dean bent his head to give her a quick peck on the lips, instantly rewarded by a smile from Skylar. She couldn't have held back the grin if she tried from a job well done, and the obvious kiss given to her by Dean. It was the first bit of affection he had given her all day, letting her know that last night had actually happened.

"Thank you," she said a little too chipper. "I did great."

"Mmhmm. And every time I need something found, I'll put you on the job."

Her face fell once again. "I didn't say I liked it."

"But you're so good at it. I mean, I've found dozens of these little bastards, but you're a natural."

"You don't have to be sarcastic about it."

"Hunter rule number one…don't become too cocky because it will bite you in the ass."

"And this coming from the cockiest piece of shit I've ever known."

Dean smirked at her, clearly amused by her pissed off demeanor. "And I've died 112 times. Trust me, cocky gets you killed – over and over and over and over…"

He kept repeating those words as he went around the Impala and climbed inside.


	9. Chapter 9

Skylar limped around the next day, still getting use to the idea of being flung around by Supernatural beings. It hadn't taken long to find the witch. She had been an attractive women in her 30's. Jones', being a total creep, had fired after she refused to sleep with him.

Instead of trying to sue for misconduct or defamation, or something along those lines, she decided that she would melt his insides. Honestly, if Skylar could pull that off, having the means to do that to a man that has wronged you didn't sound like such a bad idea.

But the women had been a total bitch, so she couldn't feel too much sympathy for her.

Dean had shoved a gigantic branch into her chest and they called it a day.

However, things did not go back to normal like she had planned. Skylar was currently in a room with an angel. The angel named Castiel. He sat on the edge of the bed, his hands planted firmly on his knees; his posture impeccable.

What do you say to an angel? What do you say to an angel with no sense of humor?

"Dean said that I have to baby sit you." Skylar rose her eyebrow is question at the robotic deep voice. He continued to talk. "You don't look like a baby."

Skylar chuckled, turning on the television and plopping down Indian style next to the Supreme Being with an attractive vessel. "I think he meant that you have to make sure I don't get killed."

"Ah. Well – I will do my best."

"Soooo…." Skylar tried to fill out the awkward silence. "What do you like to do for fun?"

Castiel turned his gaze to her, cocking his head in misunderstanding. "I don't understand the question."

"Never mind," she said as she began to watch the television in silence. She rose her eyebrows in exasperation and blew out a much needed breath.

Castiel rose from the bed, his features in concentration. "Dean is calling me. I have to go."

"Is he alright?" Skylar asked her question in a bit of a panicked voice. It was unusual to see Castiel's face concerned instead of indifferent.

"Yes," he answered immediately. "But he is asking me to go."

"Then you should go," she stated the obvious.

"He gave me specific instructions to watch you. It's the least I can do considering…"

"Considering?" she encouraged.

"Nothing," Castiel said quickly to cover his blunder.

"What's going on? Where is he?" For the first time since he had been gone that morning, she began to panic.

"Perhaps you will be alright if I leave you. I'll be back shortly."

"No!" she said before he could vanish. "I should go with you."

"That's not wise."

"Please," her voice broke slightly. She couldn't be left behind to worry while everyone tried to 'protect' her from what was really out there.

Before she knew what was happening, she was teleported to a dark building. The instant gratification of being somewhere else in an instant did not agree with her and made her slightly dizzy before her vision cleared.

However, the sight that greeted her was more than she was prepared for. Standing across the room was Dean, blood dripping from his body and torturous instruments clenched tightly in his hands. A man was chained inside a devil's trap, an evil smirk on his face despite the obvious persecution that he had undergone.

"Well…well…well… what do we have here?"

Dean turned for the first time, realizing that Castiel and herself were standing silently, watching his ministration and perfected suffering of his former 'mentor.'

The look in his eyes were blood thirsty and unhuman like.

Dean quickly tried to hide the demon that continued lingering from within. But Skylar had seen it – had seen the 40 years spent in hell.

* * *

Dean paused at Alastair's words, his gaze riveted in delight.

Dean turned around, realizing that Castiel had come to his calling.

He could feel his humanity slipping away with every gruesome ministration he inflicted upon the one person that had tortured him for decades, berated him into unknowingly breaking the first seal. The seal that would bring upon the apocalypse.

However, what stood beside Castiel was much more troubling than simply slicing a demon limb from limb.

"What in the hell is she doing here?!" Dean barked in a deep voice that could put fear into God himself.

"You told me to watch her and she insisted on coming. You asked me to come – I came."

"You forced me to do this," he seethed through clenched teeth. "I told you I'd do as you asked if you kept her from this – All of this!"

"And I have," Castiel countered. "I only appear when she isn't around. If you didn't want me to bring her, you should not have asked me to appear."

Dean dropped the rusty knife he had been holding, looking away because he couldn't stand to see the fear in her blue eyes at that moment.

"Take her home."

"What's the rushhhhhhh." Alastair's slithering voice carried throughout the quiet space. "So _this_ is what you've been keeping from me? Thisssss is the weakness that I could see in you, but couldn't touch. What a sweet moment – for me."

"I'll physically drag you back to hell myself if you touch her, so help me God."

"Now, now, Dean. Let's not be hasty. There's no reason why you're little companion can't play with the rest of us…grown-ups. The party is just beginning."

* * *

Skylar soon found herself back inside the motel room. She was alone and welcomed the solitude as she emptied her stomach into the toilet. She couldn't stop vomiting. The sight that had greeted her was nothing like she had expected. While she was relieved to finally have a sense of what Dean had been keeping from her, it was far from what she had anticipated.

Sam had told her that Dean was a killer…a torturer. She had never seen it firsthand more than what she had witnessed in that moment. Every time he hunted with her, he usually made clean strikes and quick kills. However, she witnessed the joy in his eyes more than once.

But never more than when he tortured Alistair.

That was not her Dean.

Or maybe her Dean was imaginary and the gruesome killer was real.

To think that after all these years when she berated him for being a terrible person, he had actually been on his best behavior when she was around.

The thought was too terrifying to comprehend.

"Are you alright?" Castiel appeared next to her as she continued to vomit.

"Go away," she choked out. "I just wish everyone would go away!"

"Dean is doing as instructed. We have a war at hand."

She peered up into the angel's face, realizing that he held little sympathy for humans of any kind.

"And this is why you pulled him from hell?"

"We need him."

"Need him to torture and kill for you? How can…"

"It is none of your concern. We never anticipated to raise him from perdition only for him to marry a weak human that needs constant supervision. The only thing you need to know is that Dean is fine and our mission is at hand."

"What party was Alastair talking about?"

Castiel hesitated and chose not to answer.

"What party!?"

"The apocalypse."

Skylar's faced paled even more. So this was really happening? The four horseman? The Book of Revelation? The end of the earth?

"Get out," she said again in a quiet tone that indicated that she no longer had any reason to speak to him. If the world was ending, why would anyone bother trying to keep her safe? Death was inevitable.

Without another word, he vanished. Skylar turned on the shower head and stepped inside. She sank down and sat in the tub, letting the hot water redden her skin as she hugged her knees to her chest, too shocked to cry.


	10. Chapter 10

Dean listened to the quiet beeping of the hospital monitors. His gaze was riveted to the wall as he let the tears fall free from his eyes. Uriel and Alastair were both dead. And while that should bring him great comfort, it did little to ease the unbelievable pain he felt.

Sam had shown up, as well – killing Alastair with his mind like the demon was little more than an insect that needed to be taken out. Sam was still drinking Demon blood, playing into the devil's trap. How could anything be worse?

Castiel had been here in the hospital, confirming Alastair's confession of Dean starting the apocalypse. Coming from an angel, it held a whole new meaning.

 _The righteous man who begins it is the only one who can finish it. You have to stop it._

Dean was meant to single handedly stop the apocalypse. What did that even mean?

The only comfort he had right now was the presence of Skylar standing quietly in the corner, looking at him with a mixture of fright, concern, and something else that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He was surprised to see her, considering the loathsome look she gave him only a few hours before. However, when he ended up in this hospital bed after Alastair broke free from the devils trap and unleashed a beating like he had never taken before, Castiel had convinced her to come and see him.

Dean was never one to cry…and absolutely never one to cry in front of anyone, but at that moment, he couldn't hold them back if he tried.

His entire body was week and would take days to recover. For some reason, Castiel hadn't healed him. Dean would have to recover the old fashion way.

He held up his palm against the white sheets, indicating for his wife to come closer. She looked at this hand with an unfamiliar gaze. She refused to move.

"Come here," he croaked out with what little strength he had left. He hated the sound of his own voice in those moments. It was unfamiliar to him – showed a weakness that he had always possessed, but never gave into.

Skylar took a hesitant step forward. He was certain that her only motivation to move was due to his weakened state.

When she finally made her way to the edge of his bed, he reveled in the feel of her palm in his hand. Her grip was limp and lifeless in his own as he grasped a hold of her as tightly as he could muster. "Come here," he said again.

"I did," she replied in the mousiest tone he had ever heard from her sassy mouth. It broke his heart in more ways than he cared to admit.

"Come up here on the bed with me." He gave her a smirk through his blurred eyes. His tears had finally ceased and they were drying against his cheeks.

Skylar lifted one knee and then the other, climbing delicately into the small hospital bed. She sat beside him and Dean gingerly put a hand on her bare leg, hoping that he would be able to keep ahold of her so she wouldn't bolt. Despite the November chill outside, she wore a dark blue dress that hung directly below her knee. He loved when she wore dresses. Somehow it made her appear even sweeter and more innocent than she already was.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Dean said with a crack in his voice, indicating his remorse for her witnessing the worst possible version of himself. "And I'm sorry you had to stand here and listen to everything – about the seal…apocalypse. I know it's too much."

"I don't need protecting, Dean," Skylar found her voice. "I'm shocked, yes. I'm scared of the whole situation. I'm even…I'm even terrified of you right now."

Dean closed his eyes at her confession. His lips quivered.

"But more than anything, I'm angry that you tried to keep it from me. How did you expect me to never find out about this – about the world ending? About the seals and what Alastair did to you in hell?"

"I told you about Alastair…Castiel. Everything and everyone."

"No, not everything. You mentioned them. I know I've met Castiel before, but not like this. You never went into detail about any of it. After knowing how much you keep me in the dark about what's really out there, I'm shocked that you take me hunting with you at all."

Dean shook his head. "It's good practice to hunt against regular monsters because they will never go away. But this…this is bigger than the both of us. It's way above our pay grade and I have no idea what to do. How am I supposed to single handedly stop a war that is written? This is Biblical, Baby Girl. There's no saving the world this time."

"Dean…"

"No," he stopped her. "I can't do this. It feels like everything we've ever done for humanity has been a waste."

"Not a waste," she denied instantly. "Think about all of the impossible and amazing things that you've accomplished, and realize that this is just another item to your already long list."

"I just want to leave."

Skylar looked at him wearily and then at the monitors connected to him. "You aren't strong enough. The doctor said it might be a few day."

"I don't mean the hospital. I mean permanently. Let the angels deal with this shit. I can't do it, Sky," his voice cracked once again as tears threatened for the second time. "I want to leave everything behind. Let's just drive and get away from it. Please…"

"Okay – anything you want."

* * *

Skylar laid down beside Dean in the hospital bed and listened to his steady breathing, feeling his heart pounding against the palm of her hand. If a few hours ago you had said they would be in this situation, she would have said that you were crazy.

She had been terrified of him. She still was, but seeing him weakened and scared; it was her undoing. She couldn't deny him of what he wanted. The thought of leaving this life behind and living a normal one was inviting. However, the sound of Castiel declaring that Dean was the only one who could stop the apocalypse meant that there would be no future life of white picket fences and little league games. It meant that the world would inevitably end if Dean didn't fight.

Running would be futile. But maybe they could disappear for just a little while. What harm would a few weeks do? He was always the strong one and it was time for her step up to the plate and be what he needed her to be.

Skylar closed her eyes and snuggled up to Dean a little bit closer, realizing that no matter who this man was –alcoholic, womanizer, jack ass, demon – she couldn't imagine a life without him by her side.

She tried to deny her feelings once before. When he had died back in May, those had been the worst few months of her life. She had tried to enjoy the freedom; the mark that had faded and burned out. But her heart hurt more than she cared to admit. She didn't feel free; she felt empty.

And when he was raised from the pit, it had been 9 am on September 18th that the life once again entered her body and the mark on her thigh burned like acid at it once again lit with a vengeance. She had cried silently in relief, waiting for her phone to ring, getting that call that she desperately needed.

Maybe she hadn't hated Dean her entire life.

Maybe she had loved him all along.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi everyone! I just wanted to let you know that, as of this chapter, I will be switching** _ **Branded**_ **to rated M. If that isn't your type of story, I would suggest you stop reading halfway through this chapter. Dean and Skylar have been married for about month now, so I figured that it's time to up the physical aspect of their relationship.**

Skylar could feel the exhilaration running through her body as she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. It was finally happening. She couldn't believe it. She was shaking uncontrollably as her fingertips vibrated from the feel of the soft body that touched her own skin. She had spent countless hours picturing her first time, and never in her wildest dreams had she imagined it being this good – this satisfying.

"You have to put her in drive, Baby Girl."

Skylar revved the Impala, savoring the feel of Baby's wheel beneath her finger tips. She turned the volume up full blast as Tom Cochrane's _Life is a Highway_ became her background single for this epic moment. When Dean had suggested she drive Baby…there were no words to describe the feeling.

She put her hand on the gear shift and put it in drive, pressing down hard on the accelerator.

Surprisingly, Skylar found herself going backwards instead, causing her to gaze down and realize that she was accidentally set in the R position.

"Break," Dean said in a calm voice. "Break…Break!" Dean screamed as she traveled backwards at a surprisingly fast pace. She giggled despite Dean's gradually raised voice.

Skylar hit the break and came to a jolting halt. Instantly going to correct her mistake, she placed the gear in D and took off like a shot. Luckily, they were on a back country road in the middle of nowhere in Sedona, Arizona. The windows were rolled down. The warm breeze felt amazing against her skin. When Dean had asked her where she wanted to go, and when she realized there was no way to talk him out of leaving his problems behind, she had instantly suggested somewhere warm.

He had done one better, and took her to the desert. It was a little extreme, but the horizon covered in Red Mountain rocks almost appeared to cover them from the angels, mentally shielding their location. She knew it was only wishful thinking, but it felt like a small child hiding beneath their covers, feeling safe from monsters.

She was pushing the Impala to a ridiculously fast pace, but as she glanced over, Dean's face was beaming with pride.

It was for moments like this that she was beginning to live for.

Skylar had to admit that, except for her first blunder, she was a natural at this whole driving thing. After all, she had watching Dean caress, build, and drive this gorgeous vehicle her entire life. She was bound to naturally pick up a few tips from simple observation alone.

It was as if Baby was her own person; had been a voice in their crazy world from the very beginning.

"You're doing great, Sky."

"Does that mean I can go get my license?" she beamed excitedly.

"Technically, you don't need one. I can drudge you up a driver's license in 15 minutes if you want. How does Alice Wong from North Caroline sound?"

"Tempting," Skylar said in a sarcastic tone while rolling her eyes. "I want my actual license. You can't cheat me out of that."

"Whatever you want, Sky."

The simple admission had her glowing.

Dean's relaxed focus was hard not to miss as he kept a careful eye on her driving while drifting off into his own thoughts.

For a moment, Skylar's exhilaration fell a few notched as she realized the inner turmoil that Dean continued to possess. She hated to admit it, but she was slightly afraid of him despite the small glimpse that showed what kind of a monster he was capable of being. The demonstration had been against Alastair, a true monster that deserved every ounce of wrath that Dean possessed. However, the realization did little to ease her fear.

In a way, she was blocking the image from her mind, trying to pretend that it had never happened.

If Dean never showed that side to her personally, did it actually exist? She knew the answer to her question was yes. Yes, it absolutely did exist. He was capable of snapping at any moment and she was terrified.

But he was her husband for better or for worse. This was a man that she watched through a child's eyes once upon a time. She had witnessed the seething, slow to burn anger directed at her father and other's along the way.

But Dean never once looked at Skylar that way.

True, he became annoyed more often than not. He would pull her by the hair or tell her how stupid and weak she was being. But behind those beautiful green eyes, they shimmered with humor, even when they fought.

Lost in her own thoughts, she was surprised to gaze over at Dean once again to find him looking at her. He gave her a small half smile that caused her heart to lurch in an almost painful way. Somehow, that look was masked with an ounce of hope that she felt was long lost.

* * *

Dean nursed a beer as he sat on the edge of the bed, looking into the long necked bottle with slight contempt. Once he had left the hospital and vowed to get away, he also told himself that he would put down the strong liquor and focus on the here and now.

He was with Skylar. And while Sam had run away to continue living a miserable existence with the demon whore, he was surprised to find that he was reveling in the alone time he was being given with his wife.

They had been married for almost a month now, and somehow it felt like much longer. Dean was surprised to find that he actually enjoyed her company above everyone else's. Her entire life, he had watched her grow. He remembered waking up at 12 years old with an acid like burn coming from his hipbone.

When he had gazed down to find the raised blemish that glowed against his skin, he cussed audibly. He thought that he had escaped the horrid branding that all hunters went through. Sam was branded with his psycho at only four months old, indicating that Oliva was born.

However, at 12 and knowing that your future wife was an infant…no words could express how pissed and embarrassed he had been over the situation.

John told him to man up and accept responsibility. It only took a short amount time to find her within a small sea of hunters that actually existed. And as the years went by, he watched over her. He watched her first steps, her first day of school…the time she lost her mother.

When Sarah died, Skylar had clung to him in a desperate attempt that made him feel more protective over her than he ever had before. It was at that moment that he fully acceptable the role that she was to play in his life.

Dean was actually surprised when he thought about it. Why did it take them getting married to actually be close? It was hard to not hide his contempt over his forced state of marrying her throughout the years. She undoubtedly picked up on the small irritated queues he voiced throughout. She wasn't stupid…far from it.

But now she was a girl – on the brink of being a women. Their whole situation drastically changed in a short amount of time.

As if she read his thoughts, Skylar came out of the bathroom. Dean watched her every move with absolute precision. She wore a long t-shirt that cut off right below her ass, giving him a beautiful view of her long toned legs.

Her wet dark hair hung down in long waves, sweetly framing her pretty face. It was hard not to appreciate the kind of women she was becoming. She was far stronger than he gave her credit for. Up until their marriage, Skylar had done very little hunting. He felt guilty for throwing her into this life without more practice. He knew that he should have left her behind on several occasions, but a women who didn't know how to hunt or defend herself was far more dangerous than keeping her in a 'safe' place.

And she surprised him. It was moments like those that he fully understood why hunters were branded. The branded lived off of instinct and were meant to eliminate evil. They were meant to be fearless in those moments when they came face to face with their prey. Practice or not, you simply knew how to do your job.

And Skylar knew how to do her job.

However, the fear she displayed upon seeing his own inner demon still plagued him and made him realize how young she continued to be.

"Are you alright?" she asked in concern. Dean realized that he had been staring at her with a look of trepidation.

"Fine," he answered quickly while taking another sip from his bottle. He sat the beer on the floor carefully before motioning her to come to him with one finger. Hesitantly, Skylar walked to stand between his legs. She smelled of that apple shampoo that he loved so much, mixed with her natural innocence that sent his senses into overdrive.

Skylar nodded her head, accepting his answer. He could tell that she didn't believe him despite his curt admission.

"Really, Baby Girl," he said in a more sincere tone. "I'm fine."

"Just don't lie to me," she said softly with a stern look in her eye.

Dean grasped her hips between both of his hands, squeezing firmly. He smirked at the gasp she audibly gave when he brought her closer, loving the new reaction she was having to him whenever he dared touch her.

"I wouldn't lie to you, Sky. Not telling you the whole truth isn't lying. But I promise, as of right now…I feel better than I have in days."

"I…I just want to make sure you aren't going to…"

"I'm not going to what?" he encourage when she hesitated to continue.

"That you aren't going to snap."

Dean winced at her words. Honestly, he never gave much thought to his anger. It so often overcame him that he simply embraced whatever it was…whenever it happened. Everyone around him had learned to accept it, as well. They simply gave him space and let it run its course.

But Skylar was different. She had never witnessed his true rage that rang out more often than not. She was the only person he had ever kept it from. That alone should have spoken volumes to how much she actually meant to him.

However, he now knew that keeping her from who he truly was had been the worst possible solution. She was now being forced to understand something that she should have been experiencing all along. Shielding her did neither of them any favors.

"I'm trying to keep it in check," Dean answered carefully. "I know you aren't use to it, and I wish I could say that the person that you witnessed isn't the real me…but I can't."

Skylar's bright blue eyes searched his own green ones. What he saw was more than he could bare. He would accept fear and concern, but not this…

"Don't pity me, Sky."

His tone was much harsher than he had anticipated, causing her body to tense as she attempted to step away. Dean kept a firm hold on her, bringing her closer once again. Knowing that she couldn't fight, Skylar relented.

"I'm sorry," Dean closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. "I'm still getting use to everything, and that includes you."

She nodded her head in understanding, though he wasn't sure that she fully grasped everything that he was saying.

With her lips a mere inch from his own, Dean raised his head to slightly connect with the soft mouth that he had grown to crave in such a short amount of time. Her worry and fear seemed to quickly fade as she wrapped her slender arms around his neck in response. Skylar instantly melted into him, moving her mouth along his in the expert way that he taught her. Throughout their shared embraces, he had told her to listen to her own body and know what she wanted.

And while he had initially used those words to expressing touching and kissing, in that moment she was taking his words to a whole new level.

Dean smirked against her hungry mouth as she attempted to push him back against the bed. However, he remained upright, not giving her exactly what she wanted. A groan in protest escaped her lips, but she continued to kiss him with every ounce of passion that she possessed.

"Please…" she whispered hungrily against his lips.

Dean kissed her back into silence, knowing what she was asking of him. It was almost too much. This was happening too fast.

She was his wife after all. How could he tell her no when she clearly wanted him in this moment? Her sweet body was begging him all on its own. But Dean was embarrassed to admit that he was nervous. Countless women, and he had never been with a virgin. The thought was amusing, but he liked his women like he liked his cars…fast. Skylar couldn't be more opposite than what he usually craved, but he couldn't imagine that anyone could process a sweeter taste than his little wife did.

He reached below the hem of her shirt, grazing his fingers alone her soft flat stomach and hips that flared just right. He rose the hem to just above her belly button, breaking the kiss to gaze down at her body for the first time. His mouth went dry at how breathtaking she actually way.

It had been far too long since he'd been with a women and Skylar would be the perfect one to ease him back in. Dean kissed her mid drift, causing her to grasp at his shoulders and hair for support. The sweet sounds escaping her were almost too much to bare. He hooked a finger on either side of her panties and without hesitation, slowly dragged them down her toned legs in an expert fashion that had become second nature to him.

Within moments, he had tossed her shirt to the side, baring her completely to his gaze.

Despite being the one to ask for it, she clenched her legs tightly together against his intense stare. He smirked in the moment, taking the time to scan over her entire body. Her high breast were begging to be kissed as he took one pink nipple into his mouth, sucking and flicking it gently with his tongue. He kept both hands clasped against her bare ass to keep her from falling. Skylar's head rested on top of his own, the sweetest sounds coming from her lips.

"Please…" she begged again. Dean released the pink nub to look upwards and smile against her obvious state of lust. The sight was almost too perfect. His eyes softened at the realization that he himself hadn't sported that type of new hunger in over a decade. What was it like to experience something so intimate for the first time?

Dean tried to swallow the small amount of guilt he felt for having Skylar in his arms at that moment. She was just now becoming aware of her body and how easily an attraction can ignite, forcing you to do something that you swore you wouldn't.

He had been a few years younger than her when he was in this same state with a women. She had been a prostitute from Long Island, New York after his father forced him into a vampire's nest; his first beheading and the loss of his virginity in the same night. The adrenaline of that night came rushing back full force.

But what he wouldn't give to take it all back and experience it the way Skylar was now. The trust she was feeling was evident as her ocean eyes clouded over, allowing him to touch her in the most intimate fashion. She was giving herself completely over to him in that moment.

And when she laid her head against his shoulder, he hesitated for only a moment before skimming his right hand down her bare bottom while his other arm continued to hold right around her waist. Reaching down from behind her, his hand grazed against her women hood and he reveled in how satiny smooth she was.

One expert fingered parted her as she clung tighter to him, her body shaking in response. She attempted to back away, clearly hesitating for the first time. His grip tightened. If she voiced that she wanted him to stop, he would. However, her flushed skin indicated that this was exactly what she wanted.

Without warning, he slipped his middle finger into her, turning his head to kiss her neck as she buckled against him. He groaned audibly as she gasped simultaneously. She was tighter than he imagined, and in that moment he could only how incredible she would feel wrapped around another certain part of his body.

His continued his ministrations, pulled her up to straddle his waist in one swift move; her knees resting comfortably against the mattress. Dean continued to slowly move his finger in out of her. After several minutes, she began to move her hips in response.

"That's it, Baby Girl," he responded in encouragement as her new found desire came flooding full force. Dean's jeans were straining against his erection painfully, but he took a deep breath to calm himself. It was hard to imagine that only a few layers of fabric separated him from something far more satisfying than heaven was bound to be. How could anything be sweeter than his wife's wetness that was pooling just for him?

He could feel her muscles beginning to tightening, squeezing his finger in a tense grasp that told him that she was about to find her release.

"Come for me," he groaned against her hair as she clung to him even tighter. In that moment, her whole body convulsed, shuddering as he continued his slow ministrations until her orgasm had fully subsided. He withdrew his finger, gently taking a moment to caress her clit before fully withdrawal his hand completely and resting it upon her bare thigh.

Her breathing continued to be labored, and as they continued to sit at the edge of the body, her naked body pressed up against his clothed one, Dean basked in the moment. For the first time, life didn't feel like a death sentence meant to torture him.

Life felt worth living.


	12. Chapter 12

Skylar sat on the front stoop outside of their motel room. She wore a pink hat and sunglasses to shield her gaze from the late morning Arizona rays that beat down harshly. She watched intently as Dean worked beneath the hood of the Impala. He was sweating profusely, accompanied by a deep scowl that was etched into his handsome features.

He was clearly in a bad mood and Skylar remained silent as to not 'poke the bear.' She loathed keeping her mouth shut. Normally, she would gladly speak her mind, but after everything that had transpired, she figured it was in both of their best's interest if she let him brood in peace.

Ever since she could remember, she would gaze at Dean when he wasn't looking, appreciating the sight before her. He really was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen from the deep green of his eyes to the full mouth that was so X-rated, it should be illegal. However, it wasn't until the last few years that she began looking at him as someone she would one day share a bed with. And despite sleeping next to him every night for the past month, he never touched her until now.

Skylar woke up feeling embarrassed and moderately abashed at what had transpired the previous night between Dean and herself. She wasn't sure how she had let something like that happen. She had practical begged him to touch her.

Skylar would be lying to herself if she said she hadn't enjoyed it. In fact, it had been the most thrilling and erotic moment of her short life.

Dean had touched her more intimately than she had ever touched herself. And surprisingly, he hadn't attempted to push the boundary further. He had left her a virgin and never once moved to unclothe himself in order to find his own release. Despite her young age, Skylar wondered if that's why he was in a foul mood.

Considering the amount of issues that were piled upon his shoulders at the moment, it was hard telling which thought was currently provoking his anger.

Skylar's phone rang from the pocket inside her jean shorts, gaining the attention of Dean as he leaned deep underneath the hood of his precious car. He gave her a sideways glance of surprise. She was just as shocked. Her phone never rang.

She stood and walked out of earshot before answering her cell.

"Hello?" she asked in curiosity.

"Skylar?" She released the breath she hadn't known she was holding and relaxed slightly.

"Hi, Sam."

"What's this about Dean running away? I've been trying to call every cell he has for days, but he hasn't answered. Now they're just going straight to voicemail."

"After what happened with Alastair, I think he just needs a moment to himself." Her voice was barely above a whisper. She felt a little guilty talking to Sam about this, especially since he had ran away with someone whom might be considered as their enemy. Dean was still angry despite Sam's arrival and the fact that he had killed Alastair.

"I talked to Castiel. He said that Dean refuses to speak to him. I understand where he's coming from, but he can't run away from the very thing that saved him from hell. They'll put him back!"

Skylar winced at Sam's declaration, realizing that he was right. Dean couldn't ignore his 'purpose' forever.

"Do you really think that Cass would do that?"

"Not by his own choice, but if given the orders, he might."

"It's only been a few days, Sam. He's not ready to face it, I can tell."

Sam became quiet for several moments before changing the subject slightly. "Are you alright?"

"Of course," she answered quickly. "Why do you ask?"

"You know why. I've been Dean's brother for 24 years. I know he can be a bit hard to handle at times."

Skylar bit down on her bottom lip, instantly agreeing with her brother-in-law's words.

"I don't think he'd hurt me."

"Not intentionally, no." Sam's hesitancy and weak reassurance were unnerving, but slightly angered Skylar. She leaned against the outside window ledge of one of the motel rooms, gazing over at Dean whose focus was once again on the task at hand. She wasn't even positive that the Impala needed any work done, but laboring beneath the hood of Baby had always been therapeutic for him.

As she watched his muscles work furiously beneath his actions, she realized that despite the anger and indifference, lied the one person she could count on no matter what.

When her mother had died when she was a small child, he had been on her door step in less than a day after driving all night to reach her. She had clung to him furiously, craving a small amount of solace that her father would never give her. He had held her tight, never letting go until she was the one to pull away first.

And now he was her husband, accepting his role (thought hesitantly), the moment Ike had wanted to push her aside once and for all.

"I have to go," she said into the phone.

"Wait! Where are you?"

"We're…" Skylar halted her words. If Dean wanted Sam to know where they were, he could have picked up his brother's calls. She realized that at the moment, Sam was probably tracing their call. She shut her cell and turned off the power before walking back to the Impala, placing a hand against the black exterior before leaning forward and watching Dean's expert motions.

"Who was that?" he asked in a gruff manner that was made harsher by his deep voice.

She hesitated before answering. "Sam."

Dean raised his eyes to her, halting his actions. "And you answered it?"

"No one ever calls me. I didn't have his number saved because we just rely on your cells all the time. You only bought me the damn thing in case you and I get separated. I didn't even know he had my number." Skylar stopped, realizing she was rambling at a fast pace.

Dean sighed heavily before throwing his wrench to the ground and slamming the Impala's hood with a loud bang. "I gave it to him before he left with that cunt, Ruby."

"So it's your fault?" she asked. The accusatory question came out quickly, making her wince. It had been days since she gave Dean any lip, and to her surprise, his mouth curved at the corner in an amused gesture.

"I guess so," he replied. Skylar was a little relieved to see the obvious tension leave his shoulders, if only for a moment. "Are you going to tell me what he wanted?"

She shrugged incredulously, "he said he left you several voicemails. I'm sure you have some kind of idea."

At that comment, his dark mood returned, though it wasn't necessarily directed at her any longer.

"He's being a drama queen," Dean said with the roll of his eyes.

* * *

Dean could feel his wife gazing up at him as she sat close by watching his every move. He knew that he was in a foul mood and was trying his best not to take it out on her. He was terrified of speaking and making her angry, or worse, frightened. There were so many thoughts swirling through his mind that he couldn't keep them all straight.

He kept telling himself over and over that she was his wife and that last night was not wrong. But trying to fully convince himself of that fact was proving to be more difficult than he thought it would be.

The last thing Dean wanted was for Skylar to think that she had done anything wrong. The look on her face was beyond adorable. She continued gazing at him with a mixture of wonder, curiosity, and confusion, though he couldn't see her eyes that were shaded by the glasses she wore due to the harsh sun that was currently beating down.

As he worked on the Impala, though nothing was necessarily wrong with Baby at that moment, he could hear her phone ring, which surprised him. However, he had a sinking suspicion it was Sam considering that was the only other person who he had been given her number besides himself.

She spoke in low tones several feet away. Dean strained to hear what was being said, but it was no use. By the subtle glances he threw her way, he could see the worry and trepidation on her sweet face. He became instantly angry to know that whatever was being said on the other line was causing her discomfort.

Dean had an idea of what was being said. After all, Sam left countless voicemails begging Dean to come out of hiding and face his..their destiny. It was the fucking apocalypse. What kind of destiny could possibly be awaiting him aside from certain death?

When Skylar walked back over to him and confessed that it was in fact Sam, he was irritated that she had answered the call at all. But then she showed him a sign of her old sassy self, and his mood instantly brightly to a manageable degree.

"He's always been a drama queen."

"But do you think he's right?" she dared to ask.

Dean ignored the question. The last thing he wanted to think about was saving the world, or worse, being given a free ride back to hell. He tried to change the subject, though the topic was on the verge of being equally uncomfortable. However, neither of them had mentioned it despite being on the tips of their tongue, he could tell.

"How are you…after last night?"

Dean leaned against the hood of his car and began wiping away grease from his hands with an old rag he always carried. Giving her a sideways glance, he could tell that her cheeks blushed red, which had nothing to do with the heat of the day.

"I'm alright," she answered quietly with a small shrug of her left shoulder.

Dean smirked at her obvious discomfort despite the softness in his eyes. "I'm sorry about what happened. The last thing I intended to do was take advantage of you, Baby Girl."

Skylar gazed up him, her eyes still shaded, but by the sudden change in her demeanor, he could sense that something was off. She stomped away and back into their motel room – uncertainty and anger etched into each step. Dean looked after her, cursing himself for obviously saying the wrong thing.

Skylar was a handful, but she wasn't necessarily as emotional as most females, which he was happy about. But after last night, she would obviously be a bit off given their current state of affairs.

Dean didn't do emotions of any kind. Every time his brother got a bit touchy feely, he'd give him hell and call him a women. But he couldn't necessarily do that with Skylar – she _was_ a women. He couldn't just walk away and let her sort through her mental issues alone. He'd have to face it and talk about f…feelings. Dean shuddered at the thought.

He walked into the motel room, instantly loving the feel of the air conditioning that hit his overheated body. Skylar was sitting on the edge of the bed that had held their erotic session only 10 hours prior to this moment. She was flipping through the channels angrily, not really looking at what was on the television.

Dean reached into the cooler and pulled a beer out, popping the top and lifting it to his lips. Before it made it to his mouth, Skylar turned a seething glare in his direction and spoke.

"It's 11 in the morning, Dean!"

Dean paused and realized that the challenge in her eyes was almost as frightening as his own seething glares usually were. He smirked once again and sat the undrunk beer on the nearby table.

"You're right."

Skylar looked taken about that he had actually listened to her, but quickly reset her attention back on the television instead of looking in his direction. Dean sat on the edge of the bed next to her.

"You stink," she said in a matter-of-fact voice that obviously meant to get him to move away from her in that moment. However, Dean stayed next to her and roughly grabbed the remote out of her small hand, throwing it across the room. "Hey!"

Skylar got up to retrieve it, but Dean grabbed her wrist, swinging her around until she once again sat beside him. She gave him an agitated sigh, but stayed rooted in place.

"Was it something I said?" he asked with humor.

"Jack ass. Go take a shower."

"Want to join me?"

Skylar looked at him with horror in her eyes that quickly turned to little slits of hesitation. "You just said that you're sorry about what happened. First, you think you took advantage of me, and now you want to do it again."

It was difficult not to laugh at her flailing arms that she was using to make a point. "I _did_ take advantage of you and I _am_ sorry for it; it doesn't mean I regret it."

Her bottom lip stuck out slightly, taking his words into deep consideration. "Oh," she breathed.

"I loved having you in my arms last night. After all, you are my wife. I guess there's nothing wrong with having a little fun," he said with a wink and a smile. Dean realized that Skylar was beginning to weaken to his charms, just like every other women he had come into contact with prior to being married. However, she was still new to giving into him, and he was trying his best to proceed with caution despite her obviously state of newfound lust.

"Was I alright?"

Her small question tugged at his heart; a heart he thought was long hardened and dead.

"Perfect," he purred, leaning forward to capture her lips in a searing kiss. He was relieved when she wrapped her arms around his neck and offered herself fully, climbing into his lap. For the first time, Dean gave up control and allowed Skylar to dominate their embrace. He pulled back slightly, offering a devilish grin in response to her obvious hunger.

"How about that shower?"

He loved the way she bit on her bottom lip, chewing slowly as she contemplated his words with hesitation. He held his hands up in surrender, as if reading her thoughts. "I promise to be on my best behavior…moderately."

She rolled her eyes affectionately before offering a small nod. Dean lifted her by the back of her knees, wrapping her legs around his waist; kissing her slowly on the way to the bathroom.


	13. Chapter 13

Skylar rested her back against Dean's chest as she watched the hot water ripple around their bodies. He had suggested a bath instead of a shower, and while the intimacy it entailed made her slightly uncertain, she soon found that the water provided a shroud, eliminating her embarrassment substantially.

The water was heated considerably to a point that her skin was instantly turning a rose color, but it felt nice against her tense muscles. When she gazed up into Dean's face, her eyes only an inch from his stubbled jaw that she found incredibly sexy, she realized how far his thoughts continued to be despite his focused look upon her exposed frame.

There were no bubbles in the water, but Dean quickly doused her body with liquid soap. It was a ridiculous amount that made her gasp at how chilly it was against her heated skin. Dean finally grinned at her surprise by his sudden soap assault.

"I doubt you needed half the bottle! You're the stinky one, not me."

"Says you…"

"Hey! I don't smell. I don't even sweat…I glisten."

Dean rolled his eyes, though the smile continued to play against his full lips. "It's fucking hot outside. Even _you_ are sweating like a pig. Don't deny it."

Skylar pouted slightly. "I'm beginning to second guess my decision about asking you to take me someplace warm."

"Since when?"

"Since you told me I stink."

"So you can tell me that I do, but I can't tell you the same thing?"

"Exactly," she answered with a sweet expression.

Dean chuckled, kissing her shoulder in the process. He grabbed her hair and pulled slightly as he bit down on her skin gently in response to their 'argument.' Skylar had to admit that one of her guilty pleasures in life had always been when Dean would grab her by the hair and hold her in place, making it impossible to move. He'd been doing it since she could remember. It was like second nature to the both of them. Admittedly, it was one of the reasons on why she kept her dark locks so long.

Any words left on their lips were lost when his free hand began to move seductively, working in the soap that he had graciously poured down the front of her body.

Skylar's breathe caught at his gentle ministrations. Dean rubbed from her neck and chest, down her arm, and onto her abdomen in a slow torture that made her grasp as his biceps for support. She didn't dare look up at him. This was all new to her, and despite how far they had gone last night, she couldn't seem to rid herself from the embarrassment that plagued her every time he gazed upon her body.

Dean was experienced…beyond skillful. Skylar had to admit that she felt doubtful, but by the way he touched her – looked at her; he was clearly attracted to her. The relief of that fact was gratifying. Of course he wouldn't have shown he was attracted to her until now, but since they were married, his attitude toward her had changed considerably.

And while he had apologized for 'taking advantage' of her last night, he had stated that he didn't regret it. She knew that he meant it considering his current silken touch upon her shape.

Dean released her hair as his hands became more firm, placing them flat against her abdomen in a slow torture as he moved them upwards; the soap easily sliding them to his desired destination. A soft moan escaped her lips when they found her breasts, gripping tightly, filling his hands perfectly. She arched her back as his erection pressed against her. He immediately drew her back against him.

Embarrassingly, Skylar still hadn't been able to bring herself to look at Dean fully. When they had undressed and sunk down into the tub, she had kept her gaze adverted the entire time. Her abashed state hadn't gone unnoticed and she immediately witnessed the humor on his handsome features, though he had the decency to not mention it.

She closed her azure eyes against the incredible sensation that she never wanted to end. He ran his thumbs over her nipples until they became completely hardened. She was shaking despite the steam of the hot water rising from its surface.

He continued touching her for several minutes, touching her body more firmly with his sound that escaped her parted lips. To her disappointment, he began washing away the soap, halting in the fondling that she was beginning to crave so much.

Dean allowed her to rest against him and regain her composure while he soaped up his own body. After several minutes, they were washed, but continued lying in the tub. Skylar's eyes became heavy from how relaxed she was.

It was hard to imagine that, only a few days ago, she had been terrified of Dean. She knew that the anger continued to be a part of who he was, but this man that touched her so gently would never hurt her. It was just a fact that she felt deep down.

She laced her fingers through his, drawing his arms around her body in a tight embrace that made her feel safe. A part of her loathed the fact that she relied on a man to take care of her, while another part of her wouldn't want it any other way. There was something so thrilling about Dean's protectiveness and hold.

She cocked her head to the side and raised her lips, waiting for him to kiss her. There was no doubt in her mind that he would. Her eyes were closed and she waited. But he never made contact.

When she opened them and looked at how his brow was furrowed in concentration, the relaxed feeling that she felt began to dissipate.

"What's wrong?" she asked in concern, feeling slightly self-conscious once again.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"With taking a bath?" she asked in question, one eyebrow raised.

He ran a hand quickly through her hair, moving it away from her face. "With me touching you this way?"

"I wish you'd stop regretting it after every time you do it."

He sighed. "I told you, Baby Girl, I don't regret it."

"That's how you're making it sound, though," she said with a pout to her lips while searching his face for answers.

"Stop pouting," he grabbed her bottom lip and tugged in a teasing manner. Skylar jerked her head away, wrapping both of her arms around his left bicep.

"I'm not pouting."

He grunted in response and fell silent. Skylar was beginning to feel uncertain and uncomfortable until Dean began stroking her arm so softly that goosebumps began to form. Her anger subsided at his touch. She turned her head to kiss him on the arm, though she continued to keep quiet. She wasn't sure what to say in that moment.

In a kiss like whisper, she blurted out the words before she could stop them from falling from her lips. "Are you ever going to make love to me?"

Skylar instantly regretted the question, though she desperately wanted to know the answer. Last night, she would have gladly given herself to him, but he was the one keeping their lust at bay just enough to not 'cross the line.' If he carried her to bed right now, she knew she wouldn't be able to stop him. It was frightening how fast her desire was growing for this man.

"Of course I will," he answered, swallowing hard at her surprise question.

"When?"

He chuckled softly. "Do you want me tell you the date and time?"

"It's not funny," she scolded, reaching up to slap him across the face. Dean grabbed her wrist before making contact, placing a light kiss beneath where his thumb lay. He tisked.

"Now, now. As much as I'd love for you to hit me, you should save it for a real fight."

"A real fight?"

"Mmhmm. Since we've retired, we might have an agonizingly long time together."

Skylar sobered at his words. Several thoughts ran through her mind, none of them pleasant. Since they 'retired,' branding was pointless. Maybe he would want to divorce her or get an annulment. If they kept hiding, maybe their marriage would be cut even shorter and Dean would be sent back to hell. Her heart began to race at the prospect. Their last few days that existed of driving, laughing, fighting, and foreplay were beginning to fade and reality was starting to set in. It was too good to last. She was sure of it.

"I hope so," she croaked out quietly, not being able to hide her uncertainty. Dean noticed how upset she was and lifted her chin up to look him in the eyes.

"Talk to me," he said while running a thumb against her bottom lip.

She relished in the soft stroke he ministered. "No matter what I say, it won't change your mind."

"You're probably right…but try me anyway," he encouraged.

"Well…I – They know where we are. Why haven't they come to take you back?"

She watched Dean's expression change, though he smiled for her benefit. "What makes you think they know where we are?"

"Come on," she snickered. "There fucking angels, Dean. You know as well as I do that they can show up at any minute and smite the shit out of us."

"Language," he tapped her lightly.

"Dean!"

He sighed heavy. "Cass has been trying to talk to me, and I've told him repeatedly to get lost. I'm not interested. I have no intention of trying to save this God-forsaken world. If they want it stopped so badly, they can do it themselves."

"When did Cass talk to you?"

"Every night…in my mind."

"And he hasn't demanded it?"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore, Skylar. It's in the past."

"No, it's not. They aren't humans. We can't just keep hiding without being caught." She bolted upright, not bothering to hide her nakedness, and turned around to face him.

"But we can try," his voice hardened, making her wince at the tone. All humor was completely lost. He rose from the tub in a fit of anger, leaving Skylar on her knees sitting in the chilled water. Tears were pricking behind her eyes, not necessarily from their fight, but because of the uncertainty of what was to happen.

She didn't want the world to end. She didn't want Dean to be punished for his defiance.

She wanted to live a life with the man that she loved; without the fear of knowing there were monsters waiting in the shadows to tear them apart. She wanted it to be over, and if that entailed Dean saving the world, then so be it.

Skylar sat on her bottom, drawing her knees to her chest, and let the tears fall from her eyes in silence.

* * *

Dean wrapped a towel around his lean hips and opened the bathroom door, shutting it behind him with a loud bang. Where did Skylar get off telling him that he couldn't simply walk away from his problems? It was his life, and if he felt like ignoring his 'destiny,' then that was his own prerogative.

"Son of a bitch!"

"Hello, Dean."

What greeted Dean was far worse than anything Skylar had voiced. Staring at him intently were none other than Castiel and his brother Sam. At some point since entering the bathroom, they had let themselves in and taken over their motel room. The television was humming quietly in the background and Sam sipped a beer while clutching a sandwich within his palm.

"What in the hell are the two of you doing here?"

"We've talked it over and decided that you have had long enough to brood," Castiel said. "It's time to get back to work?"

"Work?" Dean asked incredulously. "You mean saving the world? No thanks."

"I have told you – it's not up to you. You can't change fate."

"If I can't change fate, then let this battle happen. What's written can't be changed, right Cass? Let them fight! Let's get it over with."

"The final seal is about to be broken, Dean. There is no time to wait around and just 'let' it happen. While there is still time, we need to move."

"Everyone's entitled to a paid vacation. It's been four God damn days," Dean said quietly to no one in particular.

"Where's Sky?" Sam asked, halting their words. Dean turned a seething glare towards his brother for interrupting.

"Disney World," he said with sarcasm before pointing to the bathroom. "Where in the hell do you think she is?"

"She's in there…where you just came from?" Sam's expression was full of surprise and condemnation as he looked over Dean's near nakedness. Dean rolled his eyes.

"Oh get off your high horse, Nancy. She's my fucking wife. If I feel like taking a bath with her, that's my damn busy."

"So that's what you've been doing these past few days?" Sam began, raising his voice in the process. "Fucking your child bride while Cass and I try to decide how to fix this whole mess that _you_ started?!"

"Don't you have a gallon of blood to drink or something?" Dean bit back with a smirk.

Sam opened his mouth and closed it, letting an exasperated sigh escape his lips.

"We don't have time for this," Cass scolded. "We have to leave…now!"

"And if I don't?" Dean challenged, folding his arms in defiance.

Cass looked away, the muscles in his jaw working furiously. "I have my ordered to put you back where I took you from."

Dean paled at Castiel's words, swallowing hard. "Hell?" he asked hesitantly.

"Hell," Castiel confirmed.

Dean stomped across the room to his bag and let the towel fall from his hips despite the two men that stood only a few feet away. He dressed quickly and in a fit of anger. How dare they barge in unannounced and unwelcomed to condemn and threaten him into doing what _they_ wanted.

"And what's the plan? We just march in like superhero's and save the day?"

"Well…yes," Castiel said. "The last seal is Lilith. We have to stop her from opening hell and freeing Lucifer from the cage."

"Sounds like a piece of cake," Dean groaned.

"So you'll come with us?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Castiel looked abashed, but shook his head. "No, Dean. I'm afraid you don't."

"Then looks like I'm coming with you," Dean stated with a seething glare before yelling, "Sky! Get your ass out here!"


	14. Chapter 14

Skylar sat in the backseat of the Impala behind Sam while Dean pressed Baby to a dangerous limit. She winced as the engine continued to rev, reaching well over 100 miles per hour. Dean had a habit of driving fast, but not recklessly. He was swerving in and out of traffic while he and Sam continued to argue about the world, Lilith, Lucifer, demon blood, and Dean's newfound interest in his young bride.

Skylar's cheeks heated each time the topic turned to her. Sam was clearly upset, thinking that Dean was taking advantage of her during this difficult time. When she had dared to speak her own thoughts on the subject, they had turned to her simultaneously, telling her to 'shut up.'

Castiel sat quietly beside her, not a thought etched onto his face. Considering he could teleport to any location he wanted to, he had decided to tag along incase his opinion was needed during the conversation. After nearly a half an hour on the road, he hadn't spoken once.

"Where do you get off telling me how to live my life?"

"Clearly you aren't doing a good job of it, Dean, considering all the shits that's happened since you've been back."

"So what? Every broken seal is my fault? Maybe the first one…but not after that."

"You need to lose the attitude and refocus on hunting. You've clearly become distracted and need to snap out of whatever _this_ is," Sam gestured to Dean's whole body, indicating that he needed an adjustment all over.

"And maybe you need to shut the hell and get a haircut you sissy son-of-a-bitch."

"And there it is…" Sam rolled his eyes.

"And 'there it is' what?!"

"Every time I try to have a civil conversation with you, you attack my masculinity."

Dean snickered. "To attack your masculinity, you'd actually have to have a manly bone in your body."

"Is this necessary?" Castiel interrupted. However, the guys didn't pay him any mind and continued their incessant ranting.

Dean started once again. "And where's that demon whore of yours huh? Did she decide you were too touchy feely and emotional? After all, it must take a lot out of her to pull your puppet strings and pretend she's having a good time fucking you. It's all for manipulative purposes, you know."

Sam racked his fingers through his hair and spoke in a low tone that didn't go unnoticed. "At least she's not jail bait."

"Excuse me?!" Dean barked. Skylar winced visibly.

"Come on, Dean! You've always had a problem with barley legal girls…or girls who aren't legal at all."

"Are you accusing me of sleeping with under aged girls, you sick psycho? Since when is looking a bad thing?"

Sam gestured to Skylar sitting in the backseat. "What do you call that?"

"My wife!"

"Who _is_ a kid!"

"And I haven't slept with her, Sammy. Give it a rest."

"Now why do I find that hard to believe considering how we caught you red handed?"

"Hanging out naked does not constitute as fucking, thank you very much."

Castiel chimed in once again. "I think we should start discussing our plan of action…"

"I can't leave you alone for two seconds…" Sam began in exasperation.

"Well, it's your own fault for leaving in the first place…and I don't need a damn chaperone."

"Clearly you do."

"Bite me," Dean bit back before speaking heartlessly. "You're just jealous because Olivia wants nothing to do with you, Jessica died, and your demon whore has no intention of sticking around."

"Enough!" Castiel finally said, gaining the attention of the brothers for the first time since they left the motel. "You both have said what you need to. Lilith and the last seal; that is what we are to be discussing."

The car became eerily quiet; uncomfortable to a deafening degree. Skylar's mouth hung open at Dean's words that he dared speak to his brother. In all honesty, she felt little sympathy for Sam when he left with Ruby. It was his own choice to let the addiction take him over. Furthermore, he hadn't been around much over her lifespan, calling her and Dean's branding 'pointless.'

Her thoughts turned to March of 2004.

She had met Olivia one time when she was twelve years old, and the chick was a total bitch. It was one of the few times that Dean had dragged her with him on the road for a short trip during Spring break, much to the delight of her father. Dean said it was time to pop in our Sammy at Stanford, despite how much he hated his brother going away to college.

Olivia had been there at the same time; had made fun of her for being so young and skinny, making it a point to tell her how abusive her future husband was going to be. It was as if her mission was to ruin a young girl's life, because at that point, Skylar knew that Dean _was_ her life.

It wasn't long after that that Olivia decided to run away from Sam all together and forget about being branded. It made no sense how someone could simply run away from doing what they were made to do.

And then Sam had met Jessica and suddenly everything made sense…until she died a gruesome death that mimicked their mother's.

"You're right, Cass," Sam finally spoke. "Once we stop Lilith…it's all over."

"Meaning?" Dean said, looking at his brother sideways and with a perplexed expression.

"You and I, Dean. I'm done. I'm done with your anger…with your 'shoot first, ask questions later' attitude; I'm done holding your hand and talking you down from every damn ledge that you hang off of."

"So what? You're done being my brother?"

"Since you clearly have everything that you want right now…and I have nothing…I think you'll survive."

* * *

Dean pulled up to the bar that Ruby had told Sam to meet her at. The bitch had called shortly after their blow up to indicate that she knew of Lilith's location. It had been an uncomfortable 8 hour drive, to say the least. By pushing the Impala to an impossible limit, he had shaved nearly 2 hours off of the trip. Thank God he had, despite where they were heading, because he couldn't stand to be in the presence of his brother for another moment.

Sam was going to leave and stop being his brother. What did that even mean?

Dean had to admit that he had spoken harshly in regards to Jessica, the love of Sam's life. But he meant every word he said about Olivia and Ruby. Sam was better off without the both of them, and his brother was mistaking 'love' for something far more sinister.

However, Sam had no right to tell him how to treat his relationship with Skylar.

He couldn't sit back and listen to his little brother berate him about what he did with Skylar behind closed doors. Dean was beating himself up about it enough without hearing Sam say how wrong it was. She was his legal wife. Why did it have to be so wrong?

He knew why. She was no different than she had been when he married her a short time ago…a 16 year old girl. But after spending time with her, she wasn't the helpless creature that he had pegged her out to be. She was far more superior than he previously had given her credit for. And while she remained on the weak side, she never complained when he threw her into a fight. She stood her ground and did her best.

And yes, she was young in years. But after watching her hunt, spending countless hours in each other's company, and witnessing her desire, she no longer felt like that girl he watched grow up the in a small town in Illinois. She was his wife completely. And he knew that no matter how much he denied it, she would be his wife in every way imaginable – soon.

"Are you coming?" Sam asked half-heartedly as he began opening the door to the Impala while Dean stayed rooted in place, deep in thought.

"I don't see why I should. I'm sure you and the demon can handle it."

"Dean…"

"Sam!" Dean cut him off curtly. "Just go."

Sam, Castiel, and Skylar reluctantly got out of the car and began to enter the bar through the back alley.

To her surprise, Dean quickly got out and reopened the back door of the Impala.

"Sky, get back in," he said calmly.

"This involves all of us, Dean. If Ruby has intel on how to kill Lilith and where she is, we should go inside and hear her out."

"Get…in," he bit through his teeth harshly.

"Dean…"

"Now!"

When she remained unmoving, glancing between the opened car door and the entrance to the bar, it was clear that Dean's patience was wearing thin. Skylar took one step towards Sam and Castiel who were waiting for her to join them.

And then it happened.

Dean reached her in two long strides, murder in his eyes. His lips were shaking from his anger. Dean grabbed her by the upper arm while his other hand grabbed a fist full of her hair, causing her to instantly see stars. Skylar attempted to break free, but it only made the pain worse. He drug her backwards to the car, physically throwing her into the back seat by the nap of her neck.

She slid across the leather, hitting her head on the other door. She winced, clutching at the pain. She could hear the door slamming shut, however Dean did not get back inside. The pain was blinding, but not nearly as bad as the pain in her chest of knowing what had just happened.

Skylar was experiencing a mixture of emotions; hurt, anger, fear, and emotional distress. This was not happening. Only this morning, she had been experiencing an intimate moment with Dean, telling herself with confidence that he would never hurt her. Her vision cleared substantially enough to notice that Castiel was acting as a barrier between Sam and Dean despite the tension that lingered in the air.

Sam was red faced and screaming while Dean leaned against the Impala, his arms crossed and shoulders slumped in defeat. Sam then turned around and sauntered away with anger still evident in his stride while Castiel following behind. The angel turned around and continued walking with hesitancy while keeping his gaze riveted on Dean in disbelief.

When everyone was gone, save for Dean who stayed rooted in place, Skylar quietly opened the Impala and leapt out, running down the dark alley with tears streaming from her eyes.

It was far too much. She grew up with an emotionally abusive father and now her husband just physically assaulted her. What had she done in her life to deserve such treatment? She ran around the corner, instantly hitting a hard object, causing her to stumble backwards and fall to the ground.

She looked up, and what she saw made her blood run cold.

"Daddy?"

* * *

Dean mentally cursed himself for what he had just done. Never in his wildest imagination had he even thought it would be possible to lay a hand on his wife. But there she was, defying his orders. He wanted her nowhere near Ruby…he wanted her nowhere near Lilith. This wasn't her battle, and Dean loathed that she had to be with them at all for what was about to happen.

Dean racked a hand over his stubbled jaw, breathing deep in defeat. How many more times was life going to fuck him in the ass? Not only was the world literally hanging on his shoulders, but now he had to make up with Skylar. Something told him that the later was going to be much harder than simply taking down an ancient demon bitch.

Dean breathed into the night air, suddenly feeling uncertain about getting back into the car. There was no way in hell she would want to be around him right now, and he couldn't blame her. She was her own person and didn't deserve to be treated that way…especially for something as simple as thinking for herself.

For the first time since marrying her, Dean finally admitted that Sam was right. He _was_ a shit husband.

The poor girl hadn't lived the best life, and now she was experiencing a nightmare; being shackled to an abusive man. Dean closed his eyes against the harsh thought. What had he become?

Not five minutes had passed before Sam and Castiel exited the back door they had previously entered, a perplexed look on their faces.

"That was fast," Dean croaked out in his most manageable voice considering the recent turn of events.

Sam's face was still set into a hard line as he racked a hand through his long hair. "She's not here."

"What you mean she isn't here? We just drove all day for nothing?"

"No, I think she's in town. She's just not here…in the bar."

"Okay," Dean shoved his hands into his pockets. "Have you any idea where she might be?"

Sam seemed to be searching his brain for an answer. "She said something about a church. That Lilith was going to open hell and release Lucifer in a church."

"Okay, so we search churches. My guess would be Catholic. Thoughts?"

Sam nodded his head, though he kept his gaze adverted from Dean. Suddenly, his brother's eyes drew together, furrowing considerably as he cocked his head to the side. He swallowed hard.

"Where's Sky?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "In the car, obviously."

"No, Dean. She's not."

Dean turned around quickly, looking into the backseat to notice that Sam was right. Skylar was nowhere to be found. Terror struck him in the chest before he forced himself to take a calm breath.

"Shit," he said quietly.

"She probably wanted to walk off some steam…after what happened," Castiel said as the voice of reason.

"I swear to God if that bitch has done anything to her."

"Cass is right, Dean. Why don't you take responsibility for your actions and admit for once that she's gone because of you. This has nothing to do with Ruby."

"And your still defending that cunt despite standing you up," Dean said with a sideways glance. "She has her hooks in you, Sammy. When are you going to realize this?"

"And when are you going to admit that you can't continue living the way that you do? You're so fucking screwed up that you don't even see it!"

Dean nodded his head, chuckling with malice. "Maybe you're right. I am a screw up. And right now, my wife is missing. She's missing because of me; she missing because of this life that I tried to leave and wanted no part of anymore! You couldn't just leave well enough alone."

Dean reached into his pocket, taking his cell out and quickly calling Skylar's phone. He prayed that it was on due to the fact that she never used it. He breathed a sigh of relief when it began ringing.

Ring…ring…ring…

"Hello?"

"Sky…," he began, but stopped short while a sense of dread took him over. "Ike?"

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the tense chapter! I hope you can all forgive Dean. I know he is a major ass here, but we all know that Dean sucks when it comes to controlling his temper, he was just forced back into doing what he swore he wouldn't, and considering how much he hates Ruby, he completely lost it.**


	15. Chapter 15

Skylar opened her eyes despite the blinding pain that traveled throughout her entire body. She couldn't move – she couldn't speak.

After several moments, her eyes began to adjust to the darkness. The sound of low voices drifted to her ears, indicating that she wasn't alone.

Her mouth was bone dry due to the gag that was firmly in place. Her hands and feet were bound tight.

Skylar did her best to recall what had happened and why she was there? She remembered the long and uncomfortable car ride, the bar - Dean's assault. She remembered running away and then…

Her eyes grew at the realization of what had actual happened. She remembered seeing her father's face before he placed a hand over her mouth and began physically dragging her away. Skylar had kicked and screamed, realizing that it wasn't a mere coincidence; that her own father had a hidden agenda.

As she continued fighting, she was able to break free and take off at a full run before hitting an even harder object which sent her flying through the air and crashing down onto the concrete below. It had been Ruby, and when she dared to open her mouth and cry out, the world went black.

Skylar could taste the blood on her lips and feel a stream of liquid running down the side of her head. What did they want with her and what part did her father have to play in all of this? The whole ordeal made no sense. Taking a deep breath to clear her head, Skylar continued to sit quietly while she began picking at the rope that tied her hands together.

It was so tight that she could barely twist her wrists enough to make progress, though she was glad that Dean had coached her in the arts of escape a long time ago. She thought it was mean and pointless when she was only eight years old and he would tie her to a chair, only to watch her struggle for hours. But now she was grateful for his cruel and unusual training.

She willed herself to stay calm. Panicking would only make the situation worse.

Skylar positioned herself just right to reach into her back pocket to retrieve her lock pick. Though she was dealing with ropes rather than handcuffs, the sharpness of the object was bound to come in handy. She continued stabbing and sawing away, pausing when three pairs of devious eyes turned to regard her with interest.

"It's about time you woke up," Ruby said while crossing her arms in agitation.

"The Winchester's will be here soon," the pretty blonde spoke. Skylar noted that she had never seen her before, but considering her mannerisms, something told her that this was Lilith. Only once had Skylar laid eyes on her and she had been in the body of a small girl that made the child from _The Bad Seed_ look tame. "It's only a matter of time before the ritual begins and we can finally free him from his prison so that all of the world can witness his true greatness."

"The ritual better fucking work considering the stench she's giving off," Ruby said angrily while sauntering to Skylar with an intimidating gait. The demon bent down quickly, seizing her around the throat and squeezing tight. Skylar choked out at the tight squeeze despite her mouth continuing to be gagged. Ruby spoke directly to her in a seething tone. "I saw you two weeks ago and you smelled as pure as the driven snow. You're still a virgin, but barely. Slut," Ruby slapped her across the face, sending her back up against the wall so harshly that Skylar could hear the breaking of the interior behind her.

Mentally, Skylar cursed the demon. _Slut_? The bitch was a total hypocrite. And why did demons have such an insane obsession with virgins? She may not be a hunter veteran, but she was aware enough to known that she was in deep shit. Unless a miracle rained down on her, she was dead.

Skylar recalled that Lilith had mentioned Dean and Sam; that they were on their way. Despite her continued anger towards her husband, she prayed that they arrived in time. She could sulk and be angry towards Dean when they didn't have to worry about keeping Lucifer in the cage.

It had been endless years since the fall, and it all came down to this one moment.

Skylar seethed at the sound of her father's voice as he began to speak. Through everything that was happening, she had almost forgot that Ike was at the center of her capture.

"I did what you asked," he began hesitantly. "You said to get her here and that the Winchester's would follow. Skylar and I both walk away after this, right?"

Lilith stared at Ike with a small smirk on her full lips while Ruby scoffed in exasperation and laughed out loud. "Do you really think that we would have went through all of that trouble to only let her go; to let either of you leave?"

"But you said that if I convinced Dean to marry her, that you would take care of us."

"Yes, I did. By freeing him, Lucifer will take care of the both of you. You will want for nothing…in hell."

Ike's face fell at the words falling freely from Ruby's words. "So she isn't bait?"

"You can't be seriously?" Ruby said condescendingly. "I went through a lot of shit this past year to arrange everything? Dean was supposed to go to hell so that the first seal could be broken! Once he came back…it only became easier. I watched him with the little bitch before that, and while he tried to act indifferent, I knew it wouldn't be that difficult to get him to marry her. His obsession was already evident. And the branding…who have thought something so outdated could be such an asset? Of course, I thought her virginity would be a little safer considering she's just a kid. But, Dean after all, is an impulsive perv. I should have known better."

Ruby began walking towards Skylar, her heels clipping loudly against the floor. "But I needed a virgin…and I need Sam. Dean and you were just the middle men."

The dark haired demon grabbed Skylar by the hair and began dragging her against the floor towards the center of the large room. Stopping in the middle of a spiral, Ruby let her go and began walking away with a devilish grin on her face.

Lilith then came up to her. Her attitude was not at repulsive, but somehow, she was far more intimidating. Skylar stared her down, shocked when she snapped her fingers and the ropes fell to the ground followed by her gag. She moved her mouth, attempted to relieve the sore dry feeling.

She ground out, "cunt," before a strong force began to weigh her down heavily, keeping her in place. Even her lips were weighted down, and she couldn't open them once again.

"You have no idea how lucky you actually are? You have been chosen to open the gate," Lilith's voice sounded smooth and hypnotic. "I wouldn't have to keep you pinned in place and your mouth closed if I wasn't sure you would worn the Winchester's of our plan. Because you and I both know that they're about to storm in here and play hero."

Lilith rose from her knees and turned around, the muscles in her back visible beneath the low cut white dress. She picked up a knife, touching the blade delicately until a drop of her own blood fell to the ground. "You and I are in this together…and we'll die together."

* * *

Dean pulled up outside of the church, murder coursing through his veins. When Ike had answered Skylar's phone, an instead sense of dread had taken him over. But the older man had just signed his own death warrant. The last words he had spoken to Skylar's father were, _"I will kill you if I ever see you again."_

He had every intention of keeping his promise.

However, he and Sam had a far bigger problem on their hands. Ike had been more than willing to give away their location.

The Winchester's weren't rookies. They were walking into a trap.

Dean knew that his anger was off the rails right now. He was doing his best to stay calm because one false move would get his wife killed. He knew that Skylar was in the biggest danger of her young life. And while he wanted to storm into the church, kill Ike with his bare hands, and send Lilith back to hell, it wasn't feasible. They had to do it right.

Ruby began beating on the passenger side window, much to Dean's chagrin. Sam rolled down the window instantly, ready to welcome her with open arms.

"Where were you?" he asked sincerely.

She was breathing heavy, fear laced in her voice. "I had no choice. The ritual is happening much faster than it was supposed to. Lilith is inside. Sam…you know what you have to do."

Sam paled, looking over at Dean with trepidation.

"Sammy, what is she talking about?"

"This has nothing to do with you, Dean! Just let Sam kill Lilith. He's the only one strong enough."

"Sam!?" Dean demanded an answer.

"I have to do it, Dean. I know I can kill her."

"By guzzling demon blood?"

Sam nodded his head incredulously as he stepped from the Impala. Dean slammed his fist against the steering wheel, but said nothing. He could see Sam drinking a gallon of dark red liquid, tipping the heavy container all the way back as he let it drain down his throat.

Dean was torn between stopping his brother from his dangerous addiction and actually getting him more. Despite the fight he had had with Sam and the horrendous way he had treaded Skylar, they were the most important people in his life. And right now, they were both on the brink of death.

But Dean knew that the only chance he had to save Skylar was to send Sam in to stop it. He was the one that was able to expel demons and send them back to hell. He could stop the apocalypse before it even started. But if Sam was the one capable of stopping it, why was Dean told he was the one who could save the world? The logistics of the whole situation were fucking with his mind.

Dean reluctantly stepped out of the Impala and went to stand beside his brother, keeping his gaze adverted as Sam continued chugging the offensive liquid. He couldn't bare to look anymore if he was to keep his anger in check.

"That's enough, Sammy. Let's go."

Sam breathed heavy as he let the empty container fall to the ground. Without a word, Sam began walking up the steps; Dean slowly trailing behind. When they entered the dark sanctuary, Ruby lead them down a corridor until stopping outside a set of heavy oak double doors. It was eerily quiet, no sounds of a struggle coming from within.

"She's in there," Ruby said anxiously. She reached for the doorknob, instantly opening the door and slowly stepping inside.

Dean rolled his eyes. What had he said? It was a trap. It was too easy, and something told him that Ruby was behind it all. But now was not the time to pick a fight when they were so close to ending it.

He trailed in after, trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness.

What he saw made his blood run cold and his lips curl back in fury.


	16. Chapter 16

Skylar's heartbeat accelerated to a dangerous degree as she watched Lilith saunter to her, the blade shining against the dim light. She willed herself to calm down. She wouldn't give the demon the satisfaction of seeing the fear that coursed throughout her body.

The petite blonde hunched down next to her, placing a delicate finger on the tip of the large knife and twisting it back and forth. "It'll all be over soon. This isn't the end…it's only the beginning."

Skylar attempted to ground out the words that were lost. She still couldn't speak despite the scream that she quietly sounded from within her throat. Her body twitched slightly, but it was no use. She couldn't move. She was proving to be a pathetic hunter. Lilith was in her sights and was about to win this fight.

Lilith placed Skylar on her back against the cool floor and lifted one of her arms, inspecting the inside of her wrist. Placing the blade against her skin, Lilith slit vertically until a stream of blood poured from Skylar. She watched the liquid from her own body pool to the ground and into the spiral, the blood following the formation. It began to shine bright against the darkness.

Lilith placed the blade against Skylar's other wrist, repeating her actions until blood poured down once again. The pain was surprisingly bearable, which couldn't be a good sign. Her vision was beginning to blur, but she could clearly see the room beginning to light up from the blood that slowly trailed around them.

Lilith looked pleased with herself, and with Skylar. The demon reached out and smoothed her dark hair back from her forehead in a gentle caress that was laced with manipulation.

"It's working," she said with a smile. "Soon, this will all be over and then paradise can begin."

Lilith lifted her head, a huge grin spreading against her wide mouth in excitement. "They're here."

Skylar furrowed her brow, surprised to find that she was no longer held against her will. Lilith had released her hold, but now her body was too weak to protest in any way. She turned her head towards the door, and through her blurred vision, saw Ruby, Sam, and Dean enter through the large oak doors.

It took no time for them to notice her state and the blonde women that hunched down next to her, a bloodied blade still placed within her palm. "Sam," she purred. "I've been waiting for you."

Sam stayed rooted in place, holding Lilith's gaze in a steady challenge. Dean took out his blade, his impulsiveness taking over, as he began running forward. Skylar winced as he went flying through the air, his back hitting the far wall while he stayed elevated off of the ground. He was pushing against the force, making little progress in breaking free. Through the pounding in her ears, Skylar could vaguely here the vulgar words coming from his lips as his face twisted in emotional agony.

"It's over, Lilith!" Sam screamed. "I'm strong enough to kill you and end all of this."

"I would like to see you try," she said in a sweet voice, once again manipulating her prey. Sam had no idea that that was what she was counting on. She needed Sam to kill her in order to finish the ritual.

"Sam…" Skylar spoke quietly, having a hard time voicing her own words. The sound of his name was lost as her brother-in-law began his assault against the demon.

He was expelling her, giving her what she wanted. "Sam – stop," she said more forcefully. But the sounds of electricity from Lilith's body and the wind that held Dean in place were drowning out her pleas.

The ground began to shake, the cracking sound unnerving. Skylar's panic once again became highlighted as it dawned on her that she was literally being fed to the beast. Lucifer was going to rise from below, and the ground would open up to swallow her whole. He would be free.

Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't realize that it was over until Lilith's body fell the ground, her face only inches from her own. Blood began to pour from the blonde's mouth, mixing with her own. The illuminating light became brighter as the cracking sound grew stronger. She could hear Sam's panicked voice because he couldn't understand how it hadn't stopped the inevitable.

She could hear her father's voice saying he had no idea they planned to use Skylar in order to open the cage.

She could hear Ruby's excitement as she told Sam what had just happened.

The cracking sound became more and more violent. The ground was quaking at this point, and it would only be a matter of moments before she fell through. It began to split against her back as she waited with fear through the sickening feeling she continued to experience from the blood loss.

And then it happened.

Her legs began to dip down as her body slid forward. She prepared herself to die. There was no way out. Skylar began to fall. She could feel the unbearable heat against her own skin.

And somehow, she stopped her decent as she watched Lilith's lifeless vessel drift downwards into the pit of fire. She was transfixed by the simplicity of it. A river of fire and a bright white light that was almost too much to look at.

She was transfixed by the sight.

Skylar gazed upwards, realizing that Dean had her by her slit wrist, his own palm covered in her blood. Despite the liquid that continued to drip from her, his grip remained firm. It was as if he was waiting for the shaking to cease before pulling her upward.

And as she looked back down, the form she saw was indescribable. It was a demon in its true form, hideous to an immeasurable degree. She knew that Dean saw it too, because it was at that moment that she began ascending upwards despite the shaking that made it difficult to firmly expel her from hell's grasp.

Dean somehow managed to pull her upwards with one arm until she safely slid across solid ground. He tried to stand her own her feet, but she couldn't find her footing. She was holding on by a mere thread. If hell fire didn't kill her, then the loss of blood would.

He scooped her up into his arms and began to run. Gazing over her husband's shoulder, she witnessed Ruby's lifeless body and no one else in sight. Clearly Sam and her father were long gone by that point. She couldn't blame them. It would take a miracle for her and Dean to get out alive.

And as he continued to run, the building began to crumble around them. She closed her eyes against the offensive shards that began raining down. It felt like hours when it couldn't have been more than mere minutes before she felt the cool night air hit her body and Dean's steps coming to a halt. Once the relief of freedom engulfed her, Skylar allowed herself to be overcome by darkness.

* * *

"Dean! Dean!"

Dean's gaze was riveted in place as he watched Skylar being lifted into the ambulance on a stretcher. In the far recesses of his mind, Sam's voice drifted to his ears. He was yelling at him to get inside before the ambulance took off. But his feet remained unmoving.

The church building was a crumbled mess as a crowd of onlookers stood around, gaping at the events taking place.

Dean looked behind him, into the night; the need for bloodshed overtaking his body.

And with one final glance at his brother's perplexed and panicked features, he slowly walked to the Impala and got inside, revving the engine as he put Baby in reverse and accelerated backwards. Heaven help any poor soul that got in this way at the moment.

As the street corner came in view, he turned himself around and drove forward, pushing his car well over the speed limit as his tires squealed against the concrete.

His wife was on the brink of death because he failed to protect her. Skylar was his responsibility and he had pushed her away from him and into the waiting hands of Ike Evans. It was a long time coming. Over the years, he had resisted the urge to slowly drain the life out of that bastard. Dean had thought about it far too many times. What would it be like to look the older man in the eye as he took his life?

It was morbid, to say the least.

But he had had those thoughts when Ike was merely a bad and distant father. And now that he purposely offered his daughter as a sacrifice to die, the game had changed.

Dean was no longer going to play nice. The anger within could no longer be suppressed.

Dean knew that he wouldn't be able to take his time. The rage he felt was unbearable, and at this moment, he would never be able to stop from doing what he felt he had too. Dean knew that he could walk away. He could go to the hospital and sit beside his wife; be the perfect husband.

But that wasn't who he was. What he was about to do could damage any possible connection he had left with Skylar. However, he didn't care. If he didn't slice the bastard in half, he would spend the rest of his life wishing he had.

The life of a hunter was too short to waste on regrets.

Dean knew that Ike wasn't far. He couldn't have gotten more than a 10 minute head start.

As the bastard watched his daughter begin to drift into the pits of hell, he took one look at her and ran out of the door. Dean had a strong urge to go after him, but he had to at least try and save her. He would never wish for her to experience what he had gone through for 40 excruciating years. If she had to endure the terrors of hell, he was going to be with her.

Dean took off at a sprint; at a pace that he had never experienced prior to that moment. It felt as if his feet weren't even touching the floor. And when he slid across the ground, he reached for her without a moment to spare, grabbing tight to her slit and bloodied wrist.

Looking into the pits of hell had brought back every memory he had had of his time down under. The fire had felt like an oven despite not touching the flames.

But he held tight to his wife, determined to not let her down once again.

And as the sight of Lucifer came into view, hideous and near blinding, he fought against the quaking earth, making it difficult to firmly pull Skylar to safety. Adrenaline had been his only saving grace at that moment.

And by some miracle, perhaps God himself, Dean had been able to pull her to safety and run. And despite the temporary safe haven, Lucifer was now free. When one problem was solved, another one…more sinister, would emerge.

Most of the time, life wasn't worth living.

Dean picked up his pace as he drifted around the corner, not a single person left in sight. It was at that moment that Ike's van came into view. Dean pressed his accelerator to the ground, his lips turned back into a snarl.

"I'm sorry, Baby," Dean said as he waited for the perfect opportunity. By the swerving and acceleration of the van in front of him, it was clear that Ike was aware of Dean's presence and that he was royally fucked.

The old van held no chance against his precious Impala. Dean winced at the thought of what he was about to do, but Baby would just have to understand. She'd been in more accidents than he could count, and she always came back better than ever.

As Ike turned the corner sharply, Dean cut the steering wheel to the left, hitting the side of Ike's van. The impact was strong and unyielding. Dean grimaced at how harsh it actually was, but he kept his foot firmly to the floor, attempting to slide their vehicles until another object held Ike firmly in place.

There was nowhere to go…no way to escape.

Dean smirked despite the blood that poured from the side of his own head upon impact. However, the look on Ike's face more than made up for this moment.

Dean stepped out of the Impala, watching closely as his longtime nemesis attempted to find an escape route. A small part of Dean wanted the man to run. He wanted to hunt him down and kill him like the animal he was.

Dean walked slowly to his trunk, opening it to observe the weapons from within. As he began to reach for a gun, he pulled back short with a look of murder in his eyes. A gun would be a waste of this precious moment.

Dean grasped to the right, lifting a machete from its hilt, the sharp sound it made drifting sweetly to his ears. He grinned slowly at the thought of what was about to happen.

He knew that he was all shades of fucked up.

Dean strolled around Baby, jumping onto the hood of his car. Ike was attempting to break the widow from the other side, fear laced throughout his features. Dean lifted his boot, and with one swift kick, shattered the glass from the driver side.

Ike's face paled as he backed away as far as he could get. Pleading for his life.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I would like to give a special shout out to Dimac.31, AlyssaWrites96, weregirl21, and Fanoudusud for your wonderful and kind reviews! Most of you have been loyal readers and invested in Dean and Skylar's story from the beginning. I hope you all continue to read and review, along with those that are new to** _ **Branded**_ **. Thank you!**

* * *

Dean sat on the edge of the hospital bed, gazing down at the flask in his hand that he kept in the glovebox for emergencies. It was 3 am, the moon and parking lot lamps the only light illuminating the room. His hands were soaked in blood from the torture he had unleashed upon Ike only hours before. He hadn't bothered to wash himself clean, racing a damaged Baby to his wife's side.

The beeping from the machines were all too familiar. Only shortly before this moment, he had been in the same situation after Alastair's assault.

Dean had taken matters into his own hands and slaughtered her father in cold blood. Hunters weren't meant to be stone cold killers. And while he tried to find an ounce of remorse inside of his frozen heart, he couldn't. Nothing had felt sweeter than dragging that piece of shit through the broken window and hearing him plead for his life as Dean brutally attacked him with his fists, before finishing him off with the machete like he was one of the monster that he had killed countless times before.

Ike had attempted to scream his innocence, literally, telling him that he had no idea Skylar would be sacrificed. He only thought she was bait. But the fact remained; he had used her. In a way, he had sold her to himself, Lilith, Lucifer, and Ruby.

The only punishment fitting for the crime was death.

Dean lifted the flask to his lips, taking a long swig, relishing in the burn that traveled down his throat. He hadn't had a strong drink in over a week and the whisky was welcomed. Considering what he had just done, going back to hard liquor was the least of his problems.

Ever since he could remember, Skylar had loathed her father. But somehow, Dean was uncertain how she would take the news of his newest victim. Dean couldn't necessarily call the killing senseless. Ike had it coming. He'd had it coming for far too long and it wasn't until this moment that he had a damn good reason to off the ass hole.

Dean gazed down at his wife. She really was a beauty with her flawless skin, dark hair that fell right above her waist, and eyelashes that were so long they kissed her cheeks. Her normally rosy cheeks were pale and her lips cracked from dehydration despite the IV that dripped steadily into her arm.

Her heart beat was uniform, thank God. Sam had filled him in on what he had missed. She was given a blood transfusion and her vitals were stable. However, she remained unconscious and no one could give him a damn answer as to when she would wake up – if she would wake up.

Tears pricked the back of his eyes and he took a shaken breath to clear his vision.

Seeing her like this…it made him realize just how much she actually meant to him. Throughout the years, Skylar had always held a special place in his heart. He always chalked it up to being branded to her. Naturally, he would feel deeper emotions for her than any other girl.

She had the tendency to get annoying and sassy, helpless and moody; but the more she grew, the less nerve grinding she actually got. Dean realized that it was simply her growing up that bugged him. Now that she was on the verge of being a women, he saw her in a whole new light.

Dean smoothed back a stray hair from the side of her cheek, taking a moment to let his touch linger against her silken skin. She was the definition of perfection and he couldn't imagine going a single day without her by his side. He would move heaven and earth for her; even hell if it came down to it.

"Hello, Dean," the deep sound drew him from his thoughts as a ferment expression took over his hardened features. He turned his gaze away from his wife and placed a callous gaze upon the angel.

"Where in the fuck have you been?" Dean asked in a low growl.

Castiel slumped his shoulders in defeat, looking sheepish. Considering his usual posture that was excellent, it was clear that he felt guilt and remorse for the current change in events.

"I'm sorry, Dean," Castiel looked away sheepishly. "Heaven called and I had to leave. I knew that you and Sam could take care of it. I had faith."

"Did you know?"

"Know?" he looked confused.

"Did you know that Lilith's death was the key to opening the cage? The whole time we were talking about offing that bitch, and not once did you have a clue that that's what she actually wanted?"

"No. Of course I didn't know. How could I?"

Dean scoffed. "Oh I don't know…because you're a fucking angel."

"Just because I'm an angel doesn't mean I can see the future, Dean. Lilith was a threat and death seemed like the correct course of action. And as for Skylar, there was no way of knowing they were going to use her as part of the ritual."

"You're damn lucky she's alive. Otherwise, I would be forced to gut you, you spineless piece of shit."

"Now is not the time for violence amongst ourselves. Lucifer is walking the earth. It is only a matter of time before he finds a vessel and begins…"

"Stop!" Dean shushed Castiel into silence. "I was forced to get back to work and gank Lilith. Turns out, all you needed was Sam. However, Lucifer is now free and all hell broke loose, literally. So we're going to do it my way."

"And what way would that be?"

"I'm going to hunt this son-of-a-bitch down and drag him back to hell myself, if I have to. Shoot first, ask questions later."

"And get everyone killed in the process," Castiel objected. "Your impulsiveness is going to be your greatest downfall."

"Then so be it. We're all dead anyway." His last testament quietly lingered between them, but it was the truth. Lilith had been one obstacle that seemed possible to get rid of. But now…now Lucifer was a whole new issue that they weren't equipped to kill. They were hunters, not Gods.

"Going in there with guns blazing will be a suicide mission," Castiel stated as he drew closer to Dean's side. "Perhaps it was meant to happen this way. It only makes sense. You were to break the first seal…Sam was to break the last. Now it is up to you to finish it."

"You've already said that before," Dean scoffed. "But this time, I do plan to finish it once and for all."

"I'm glad to hear you say that – as long as your mission doesn't involve a senseless ambush."

"Heal her," Dean stated, changing the subject back to his wife.

"Dean…"

"Do it!" Dean turned a hardened and demanding gaze to the angel. "It's the least you could do considering that you disappeared when we needed you most."

Castiel lifted his chin and reluctantly came forward, placing a gentle hand onto Skylar's forehead. Within moments, she opened her eyes, slightly gasping for air. Dean breathed a sigh of relief as his wife took in her surroundings, uncertainty etched into her young features.

"Hey, Baby Girl," Dean said with a sincere smile and a slight shake to his normally hardened voice.

"Dean?" she asked as her eyes adjusted to the dark.

"And now that she is awake, it's time to discuss pressing matters…" Castiel chimed in immediately.

"Later!" Dean challenged.

With a heavy sigh, Castiel disappeared. Dean took a moment to thank the angel for giving him the space he desperately craved at the moment for what he was about to do. He weighed his words carefully before telling Skylar of how he had just slaughtered her father like the animal he was.

* * *

As Skylar heard the door quietly click shut, she allowed herself to breath deep and let a silent tear fall from her eye. Considering the fact that Dean had saved her life, she felt a little guilty for giving him the cold shoulder.

But then she remembered him grabbing her harshly and physically hurting her and how he had told her that her father was dead; that he had slaughtered him in cold blood. Skylar knew that he told her the truth because it would have been a billion times worse if she had heard it from someone else.

In all honesty, she felt very little loss for Ike. She hated him with every fiber of her being, and he had offered her up to the enemy so that they could 'be taken care of,' whatever that meant? He was on the side of hell, which was more than enough to condemn him.

But her husband was proving to be evil in his own right, and it scared her more than she cared to admit. Despite everything he had done, she still loved him more and more with each passing day. What kind of person did that make her?

It was too frightful to comprehend; how she could simply forgive him instantly for every terrible thing he had done.

But she had to continue keeping her distance for the moment. If she gave into him, and told him that it was okay for him to lay a hand on her and kill humans ruthlessly, then she would be condoning his actions. He would never calm down if she allowed herself to do such a thing.

Sam entered the quiet room that was gently lit from the sun outside. She glanced to her right, looking at him with interest, realizing that he was the only person at the moment that she cared to talk to. He had made his own mistake by trusting Ruby, but he had been sincere in his regrets.

Dean held no regrets what-so-ever.

"Are we still not talking?" he asked with a gentle smirk. Sam held a large bouquet of purple and pink flowers. They appeared to be lilies with a few roses peeking through. He placed them on the table by her bedside, a get well soon balloon floating in the air amidst the arrangement.

"They're beautiful," Skylar croaked out, finding her voice foreign to the ear. Sam's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"She speaks."

"It's the first normal thing either of you have done for me since I tagged along; flowers, a balloon, and a real hospital bed that doesn't consist of whisky and home remedies."

Sam scoffed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. We live a rough existence, Sky. This is only the tip of the iceberg."

Skylar blanched at his proclamation, but nodded her head in understanding. The life of a hunter, which was fairly new to her, had proven to be more hellish than she had prepared herself for.

"Am I going to be checked out?"

"Considering you had a transfusion less than eight hours ago, I doubt it."

"Cass healed me. I feel fine."

"He woke you up. By the looks of you, he wasn't able to heal you fully. You need time to mend like everyone else," Sam responded.

Skylar breathed out. While she was grateful for a sense of normalcy, no matter how small, she felt confined and trapped at the moment.

Sam continued, "you can't be angry at him forever, Skylar."

She lifted her gaze, raising one eyebrow in the process. "He just killed my father…literally hours ago. I don't think a few moments of giving him the silent treatment constitutes as forever."

"You and I both know that you could care less about Ike. The guy was a total dick bag and had it coming."

Skylar gaped open her mouth, surprised to hear Sam's declaration. He was always the sensible one; the voice of reason. He sounded like Dean at the moment.

"You're pissed off because Dean manhandled you," Sam said with a shrug. "I can understand why you're mad. I was there and he had no right to treat you like that. But you need to tell him the real reason on why you're angry…and it has nothing to do with Ike."

Skylar looked away, embarrassed by Sam's words. Dean saved her from the pits of hell and he saved her from the clutches of her father once and for all. She supposed that Sam was right. While she should be grateful, she currently held a sense of resentment because Dean had shown his potential to turn violent towards her.

She nodded her head sheepishly before biting on her bottom lip. "I'll talk to him."

* * *

Dean knew that he looked lost. Everything was pink, fluffy, and covered in ribbons.

He was currently in the hospital gift shop, thanks to his brother's 'thoughtful' nature and gigantic bouquet he had bought for Skylar. One again, Sam was making him look bad. He was the only customer, a bored looking employee watching his every move. Dean stared her down until she finally looked away and began reading her magazine.

He turned back towards the gifts in question. He couldn't get flowers and a balloon like Sam had. That would only cheapen the sentiment. After several dozen minutes of deliberation, he decided to purchase two large stuffed animals, one teddy bear and one giraffe. He bought a five pound box of chocolates, and a wicker basket full of Hershey, skittles, reese's, butterfinger, and more. If the loss of blood didn't kill her, then she was bound to develop diabetes.

Dean wrapped his arms around the gifts, holding tight. On his way to the elevator, he nearly dropped the contents three times, but he was determined to make it the rest of the way.

Castiel had healed Skylar somewhat, but she was still weak and needed to be looked after. He had prayed for the angel to come back, but he was being ignored. While he was grateful that she was awake, Castiel could have done a better job of making sure she was alright.

The elevator dinged, signaling that he had made it to the fourth floor. He began gingerly walking down the hallway towards his wife's room. Several onlookers gave him a puzzled look as he held the giraffe's neck beneath his chin. Dean reached out his pinky finger, opening the door.

When he walked inside, he was surprised to find his brother gone and Skylar sitting up in her bed. If nothing else worked, the look on his wife's face was worth the $113 dollars he had just spent in the gift shop. Apparently he was a funnier sight than he had initially thought because she burst out laughing.

Her head was thrown back in amusement as he continued holding tight to the items, nearly crab crawling to the bench located beneath the window before dropping everything in relief. His arm's felt like they were about to fall off.

Dean smirked at her laughter, relived to find that she could still find amusement in this difficult time. He chose the teddy bear to give her, appeased when she took it and hugged it close. Her eyes still shown as she watched him closely. Dean chose not to speak first, hoping that she would finally end the grueling silent treatment.

"Can I have that gigantic box of chocolates, please?" she asked sweetly.

Without taking his eyes off of her, he reached down and felt for the red heart, handing it to her eagerly. She opened the lid, popping one into her mouth with a genuine grin.

"Have I done something right, for once?" he asked abashed.

With a mouth full, she nodded her head before swallowing hard, her laughter dying. Shit. What did he say now?

"Can we talk," she asked softly. Despite the seriousness in her voice, Dean was grateful for the inquisition.

"Of course, Baby Girl. We can talk about anything you want." Dean sat on the edge of her bed, looking at her expectantly. She took a shaking breath, refusing to look him in the eye.

"I…I'm not angry for what you did to daddy," she began. Dean furrowed his brow at her sentiment.

"You're not?"

Skylar shook her head. "No, I'm not. And I'm grateful for what you did last night. You risked your life for my own. Thank you."

Dean shrugged his shoulders in embarrassment. He wasn't one to welcome thanks, but coming from Skylar, it meant more than he could imagine.

"I'd do anything for you," he answered, reaching out a hand and gently laying it against her thigh that was covered by a thin sheet. "But something tells me that there is more than just forgiveness and thanks that you're wanting to talk about."

She gazed up at him from beneath those long lashes that adored so much. She looked scared to speak, which broke his heart. However, he stayed silent, not wanting to ruin this moment. If she was taking the time to voice her thoughts, he wasn't about to stop her.

"You can't treat me like that," she spoke barely above a whisper. Dean closed his eyes against her words, instantly wincing. He knew exactly what she meant. Dean had foolishly thought that murdering her father would be the worst thing imaginable, but it paled in comparison to the way he touched her early last evening.

Dean opened his mouth to speak, closing it again, trying to weigh his words carefully.

"I'm so sorry, Sky," he began. "The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you."

"But you did," she quipped back quickly. "You can't do that…ever again."

Her words were forceful, bringing back a portion of the old Skylar that he loved so much. Dean paused at his own thoughts. It was the first time he'd ever allowed himself to think about the word love in relation to his wife. But he was willing to sacrifice himself for her, and the only other person on this planet that could say that was Sam.

Dean wouldn't have gone to hell for John, his father, despite John selling his soul for him. He felt guilty to admit that he'd never sacrifice himself for his father, but Skylar and Sam were his reasons for living. They were the only ones who truly mattered, who would always matter.

Dean paused before speaking. He cleared his throat, willing his voice to be steady.

"I know that I'm not perfect," he started, reaching for her hand and taking hold in a desperate attempt to reassure them both. "You have always meant a lot to me, Baby Girl. I'm a fuck up…I know this. I drink too much and the only time I feel whole is when I'm violent. It's the way I've always been. But that's no excuse for the way I treated you. I'm sorry, Sky. I promise I'll never lay another hand on you again."

"I'll leave if you do," she said with tears in her eyes despite the seriousness behind her words. Dean tried to keep his own tears at bay as he nodded his head in understanding.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," he laughed to keep from crying.

Skylar leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Dean's neck in a tight embrace. Dean closed his eyes, relishing in the moment. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her back, burying his face against her neck.

"I love you," Skylar said in a hushed whisper against his ear.

Dean froze, his heart beat accelerating. Her sweet words were his undoing. He was unprepared for this moment, though he had allowed his thoughts to drift towards those words lately. His perfect young wife had spoken the words that he hadn't realized he was longing to hear until this moment. A genuine smile spread against Dean's full lips.

"I love you too, Baby Girl."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I hate to be downer, but I have received many messages asking if I'm alright and where my next chapter is. I'm soooooo sorry! The truth is, my Grandfather passed away and I've been extremely busy with family issues this past week and a half. On top of that, I just began a very difficult class. It's my last class before I obtain my Bachelor's, so I have a gigantic paper due. I wrote half of this chapter before everything happened. I definitely plan on finishing this story, but my updates aren't going to be crazy fast like they previously were, lol. Unfortunately, this is a short chapter and only in Skylar's POV. I had to upload something for my readers though and explain my absence. Thank you for your patience and understanding!**

* * *

Skylar continued to feel weak following the days since she was released from the hospital. They had yet to hear from Castiel. He was ignoring their prayers. Chances were, Lucifer had found a vessel and they were remaining in the dark. It was hard to follow a lead when nothing supernatural had occurred yet.

Skylar swayed gently on her swing, relishing in the cool night air. It was one of the rare moments when she didn't feel overwhelmed and suffocated. She could see the motel they were currently staying in from her position at the park nearby.

Ever since their conversation, Dean had surprisingly relaxed his domineering hold on her. Skylar smiled as she allowed her thoughts to drift to that day when she had blurted out that she loved him. While she instantly caught her breath, scared of what he would say, Dean had returned those words in a sincere voice that had left her basking in the moment.

She loved him more and more with each passing second. And while his drinking had resumed, his anger seemed to have subsided a bit. A part of her felt that it was due to his fear of losing her. If that were the case, then Skylar was okay with that. The effort he was exuberating lately was more than impressive. He hadn't lost his temper in nearly a week. That had to have been some kind of record.

However, Ruby was no longer in the picture, and that had made a world of difference in and of itself. Dean and Sam were taking routine jobs that included ghosts, vampires, and your typical werewolf. They were busy, but not overwhelmed.

Skylar opted to stay behind, claiming that she was too weak to be of any real asset. But she was embarrassed to admit that she hadn't been any real help on the jobs that they have taken. Sam said that all she needed was practice and Dean would flat out lie and tell her how beneficial she was. Furthermore, after her near death experience, she wanted nothing more to do with hunting.

Her husband had a reputation as being one of the best hunters to ever live, along with every other Winchester. And while she was now a Winchester herself, she knew that she would never live up to that notoriety.

She could claim weakness for so long before she would be forced to tell Dean of her desire to sit on the sidelines from here on out. She couldn't do it anymore. It wasn't ingrained in her the way it was in every other born hunter, past and present. He may not want anything to do with her after she told him, and that left her panic-stricken.

She couldn't lose him. Not now…not ever.

In the midst of her thoughts, she was brought back to reality as Dean's athletic figure made his way towards her. In the dark, the shadows created a striking picture against the backdrop around them. She smiled to herself, noticing how he kept his head bent while he walked. While he remained commanding in his strides, it was clear he was trying not to be intimidating.

Without a word, he sat down in the swing next to her. He remained silent while turning a sideways glance her way. His green eyes softened on her form and a small smirk etched the corner of his perfect lips.

"Is anything wrong?" Skylar asked to break the silence. Dean shook his head 'no' while turning his gaze from her. He swung lightly in response.

"It's a little cold out. We're not in Arizona anymore."

"I'm fine," Skylar answered, knowing where he was going with his statement without directly telling her what to do. She pulled her jacket closer together to ward against the Little Rock December chill.

"I'm not telling you what to do," he shrugged. "I'm just strongly suggesting. A cold is the last thing you need. You still look like shit."

Skylar went to open her mouth and protest. When she turned his gaze to his, he was looking at her with amusement on his handsome features. He winked at her, instantly setting her heart into overdrive. Skylar closed her mouth, smiling slightly in response while lifting her hand to move her hair from her face. The wind made her dark locks a tangled mess.

She rose from her spot on the swing. Without a word, she went to stand between Dean's legs. He stopped swaying as she put her arms around his neck and hugged tight. She knew that Dean was new to the whole hugging thing, but he seemed to enjoy her newfound embraces. He hugged her back around her waist, squeezing tight.

"What's wrong, Baby Girl?" he asked in concern.

"Nothing," she answered honestly. "I love you. That's all."

Dean scoffed, the amusement evident in his voice. "I love you," he responded.

"Can't we just stay here for a while?"

Skylar dared to indirectly ask to stay in Little Rock. There wasn't anything keeping them in Arkansas. They were here on a passing hunt that could be taken care of in mere hours. The silence stretched. She lifted her head and dared to look at him. His brow was furrowed at her question.

"There _is_ something wrong," Dean stated in a firm tone. Skylar gave a heavy sigh before looking into the distance. She reluctantly shook her head, lying to the both of them. Dean didn't look convinced, but decided to not say anything more. He reached up, grasping the back of her head gently, drawing her lips down to his own.

Skylar audibly sighed as their lips touched. She deepened the kiss instantly, not able to get close enough. She relished in the feel as their tongues dancing lightly together, wanting all that this gorgeous man had to offer. It was the first time he'd kissed her in far too long.

Much to her disappointment, Dean broke the kiss, grabbing her lightly by the neck and pushing back. She noted the desire on his face. He looked torn between continuing and doing the right thing, she was sure.

"You're too weak, Sky. You said so yourself," he grinned.

It was at that moment that she regretted playing up her ailment to keep from being forced to hunt. She nodded reluctantly. Dean rose from his spot on the swing, gently kissed her forehead, and lifted her up by the back of her knees. She wrapped her legs around his waist while burying her face in the crook of his neck. It was moments like these that she lived for.

She laid a kiss against his skin, pushing thoughts of the future aside.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone for the condolences. I really appreciate it.**

* * *

Dean sat on his knees, breathing deep as he basked in the moment.

Over the past week, he had been keeping his anger in check, which was proving to be a bigger feat than he had been prepared for. However, Skylar had made it abundantly clear that she would leave him if he didn't change the person he had always been. Technically, his wife had said that if he lays another hand on her, she would leave, which was more than understandable. But another part of Dean knew that she would get fed up eventually with his anger in general.

Dean's breathing was steady despite the slaughter that had just taken place. When Sam had said that there was a vampire nest close by, Dean knew that he had to take care of it on his own. It was the best way to rid himself of the bottled up aggression he felt on the inside. His brother was more than reluctant to let him go alone, but relented quickly, knowing that Dean would explode if he didn't kill.

Dean knew that he had a sickness. And up until this point in time, he had never allowed himself to think of it as a psychotic illness. He was deranged…some kind of psychopath.

And as he watched the blood drip down from his machete, a sense of calmness overcame him. It was peaceful, serene, and overall beautiful. What in the hell was wrong with him?

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and rose from his knees. As he made his way from the abandoned warehouse and back to where Sam sat inside the Impala, Dean attempted to count his blessings. He didn't need to live off of the violence or fear that he evoked in people any longer. He had Sam…he had Skylar. It was time to find and feel the contentment that was clearly standing right in front of him.

Dean opened the passenger door and slid inside. Without a word, Sam gave him a sideways glance, the muscle in his jaw working in overdrive. Knowing better, he remained silent as he began driving Baby down a deserted back road in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Dean gazed out of the window, seeing without really looking. Only two hours prior, he had held Skylar in his arms as he kissed her on the swing set. And while he had begun to live for those precious moments with her, it plagued him to know that she was keeping something from him.

The only question was how serious was the secret?

Dean placed a finger against his full bottom lip as he continued racking his brain for the answer he so desperately sought. Skylar had begged to stay in one place for a while. It wasn't a reasonable request. They had been on the road nonstop since their marriage, and she had almost been killed on several occasions.

It was only natural that she would want a break.

Dean cleared his throat before turned a steely eye towards his little brother.

"I think I'm going to get away with Skylar for a bit."

Sam scoffed at Dean's statement, running a hand through his long dark tresses.

"Have you forgotten you've already done that recently? You can't keep going into hiding, Dean."

Dean rolled his eyes. "I'm not running, Sammy. If something comes my way, I'll take care of it." He ran a hand over his stubbled jaw, trying to find the right words. "I think something is wrong with her."

Sam whipped his head to the side, furrowing his brow. "Wrong? Like sick?"

Dean shook his head. "No, nothing like that. I mean mentally. Maybe if she got away from all of this for two second, she'll start opening up and going back to her normal self."

Sam smirked. "You miss sassy and self-assured, Sky," he stated.

Dean grinned. "Very much," he agreed. "But it's more than that. I know that we left and went to Arizona, but that was for me. I was throwing a tantrum."

"At least you're finally admitting to being a giant baby."

"Bitch," Dean said.

"Jerk," Sam quipped back.

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment after that. It was like the universe was slowly coming back together and they could be normal for once. Well…as normal as a Winchester was allowed to be.

"So what?" Sam began once again. "You want to take her on a honeymoon?"

Dean rose an eyebrow at his statement and then grinned. "That sounds like a great idea, Sammy."

"And where exactly do you plan on going?"

Dean shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe the beach would be nice. It's been awhile since we've been on the coast."

"Two weeks! Not a minute longer!" Sam's statement took Dean by surprised, but he quickly recovered.

"Yeah, yeah. That'll work."

"I guess I'll grab a rental car in the morning and keep working."

Dean nodded, "sounds like a plan. And just because I'll be on my honeymoon doesn't mean you can't call me for help."

Sam gave Dean a perplexed look before the older Winchester laughed. "Yeah it does. You better leave me the hell alone and call Bobby or Ellen."

Sam scoffed. "Have fun, Dean. But not too much."

* * *

The next morning, Skylar could feel a weight being lifted off of her. For the first time in two months, she could finally breathe.

Dean reached over, placing his hand gently on her thigh while his eyes remained glued to the road ahead. She slid over in that moment, placing her head against his shoulder, savoring this time for what it really was. Pure.

A light kiss grazed against her hair, causing tears to prick at her eyes.

She knew what was happening. Dean was whisking her away, albeit temporarily. But he was making an effort, and that was all that mattered. Skylar had married into the most notorious family of hunters that ever existed. And no matter how hard she wished for it, Dean would never permanently leave this life behind.

But she was determined to never again enter a job. It wasn't for her. She was miserable and tired of wondering if death was going to overcome her every time they set foot inside a place to kill the supernatural.

Dean's demeanor had been exceptional since their conversation in the hospital. However, she could still see the brewing rage behind those beautiful green depths. But he was keeping it in check to an outstanding degree, and she loved him even more for it.

Skylar never wanted Dean to change who he was. But she couldn't risk him taking his anger out on her one more time. It pained her, but she meant it when she said that she would leave. It would be the hardest thing imaginable, but she could never allow him to continuously treat her that way. She refused to be abused and walked on.

But it was clear that Dean loved her just as much as she did him.

Maybe, for once, love could really conquer all.

Skylar winced at how cheesy her thoughts were. She wasn't an idiot, and eventually, real life would come crashing them back to reality with a vengeance. But right now, everything seemed perfect.

Skylar snuggled closer to her husband, breathing in the deep scent that only Dean possessed. She became dizzy at the intoxicating scent before closing her eyes and drifting off into a restful sleep.

* * *

Dean could sense Skylar's deep breathing, indicating that she was asleep. After spending night after night tossing and turning, keeping them both awake, it was nice to see her relaxed enough to get some actual rest.

Since it was December, Dean had decided that Florida would be a nice little vacation that would be warm enough to enjoy. Despite growing up in Illinois, Skylar hated the cold.

Dean let go of the steering wheel to turn the radio on softly with his left hand while his wife continued holding tight, her grip around his right arm. Despite the growing numbness, he didn't dare move for fear of waking her.

Dean could feel a hole burning through the pocket of his leather jacket. A few days prior, he had gone inside the mall…yes, an actual mall…and bought Skylar a ring that he promised to do the moment they said their vows. Life had been a bitch to them, and for the first time, he found an opportunity to make good on that promise.

She deserved the very best, and no pawn shop would ever be able to provide that.

A wedding band was too basic for his sweet young bride, so he had opted for a vintage-inspired engagement ring with little diamonds surround the band. It was a bit on the extravagant side, but the center diamond wasn't too large.

On top of that, he had bought himself a gold band. While he loathed the thought of wearing any type of jewelry aside from the simple necklace Sam had given to him when they were kids, he felt that Skylar would appreciate the sentiment. And selfishly, Dean liked the thought of being able to look down and be reminded that he was married to the best girl that the universe would have possibly gifted him.

In a half an hour, Dean had spent $12,599.62.

Well, technically Trevor Newhart had. Dean had maxed the fraudulent credit card and tossed it in the trash while walking out of the jewelry store. But that price still made him shudder.

However, nothing was too good for his Baby Girl.

Dean drove down the interstate, continuing to listen to Skylar's even breathing and the soft sounds of the radio. He smiled to himself as Air Supply came on, relieved that no one was around to witness the moment. Air Supply was a secret guilty pleasure of his.

Breaking through his thoughts, his cell phone began to ring. Dean reached into his pocket quickly, hoping that Skylar wouldn't be awoken. Lighting up his phone was Castiel.

The angel's timing was a fucking nightmare.

Castiel had branded their ribs with a warning against angels, himself included. They were nosey sons-of-bitches, and Castiel thought that it would buy them all time and keep them hidden during difficult times; even against Lucifer for when the angel, turned devil, finally showed his new vessel.

Dean sent him to voicemail before shutting off his phone completely.

Nothing, not even the end of the world, would ruin this time spent with his wife.


	20. Chapter 20

Skylar wrapped her arms around Dean, resting her head beneath his chin. The hotel balcony overlooking the Gulf shore was more than she could have asked for. It was the first time since being married that Dean hadn't taken her to some cheap motel with stained sheets and bugs crawling across the floor.

The weather in Florida was in the high seventies, but Dean still had on that old leather jacket that she loved so much. The same one he had worn all her life. Skylar breathed deep, branding this moment into her memory. A rare moment worth savoring.

The steady beat of her husband's heart thumped in a comforting rhythm. It was a reminder that they were alive. Life was something that average people took for granted day in and day out. Hunter's woke up each morning, grateful for another chance to experience everything that life had to offer, while also cursing the universe for making them live through another day of hell.

Growing up, Dean had told her that death was the end. There was no bright white light that would guide you to heaven, no grim reaper waiting to drag you to hell. Nothing would greet you on the other side. There was just _nothing._

How wrong he had been.

Dean experienced hell first hand, and now they were faced with Armageddon. Judgement day was right around the corner unless Dean stopped it single handedly. How could one man, no matter how incredible he was, stop the Biblical apocalypse from happening so that humanity could be saved? The angel's had faith, but faith could only take you so far.

Skylar lifted her eyes to stare up at Dean. His green gaze softened the moment they met her own blue ones before dropping to her lips. Seconds later, his warm mouth came crashing down on her own, drawing a sigh of contentment from her. "I love you," he whispered against her lips before ones again capturing her mouth in a searing kiss.

Skylar continued to melt into him, frantically searching for a way to get closer. She could feel Dean's fingertips sliding up her thigh, stopping to trace the hideous mark that matched his own branded blemish. When anyone dared to touch it, she always slapped them away, self-conscious of the raised scar that was a constant reminder of who she was and the destiny that she was forced to live. But for the first time in her existence, she was grateful for the red mark that made her belong to Dean Winchester.

Dean Winchester belonged to her.

His hands were lifting the hem of her sundress, coming to rest on her backside, squeezing gently. Skylar was faintly aware that they were outside despite being ten stories high. But in that moment, she didn't care. All that she craved was Dean's touch. She was terrified that is she let go, he would somehow disappear, and reality would once again set in. Their tormented reality that made each moment together a special gift.

Dean broke their kiss, causing Skylar to whimper in protest. The small sound made him lift the corner of his mouth in a half smile while he continued to hold onto her backside. The sensation of his thumbs caressing the skin made her shudder in response.

"I love you, too," she breathed.

Dean kissed the end of her nose before pulling back completely. She suddenly felt empty and alone, despite her husband remaining only a few inches away. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled a small box out.

He looked unsure and hesitant as he ran a hand through his light brown hair before speaking. "Um…I know I…I promised you a ring when we got married. Sorry it took me so long, Baby Girl." He lifted the lid on the box and Skylar gasped when she looked at the gorgeous diamond sparkling in the evening sun. The princess cut stone surrounded by several small diamonds was breathtaking.

"It's gorgeous," she breathed in awe. Dean gently took the ring out before lifting her left hand and slowly guiding it down her finger. It was a perfect fit. Tears began to drip from her eyes, and it wasn't until Dean used his thumb to wipe her cheek that she knew she was crying.

She was crying for this perfect moment, for this man that she loved with all her heart, and for this time that would soon be lost once they were forced back into the world that she was determined to leave behind.

"I'm glad you like it." Dean reached into his other pocket to hold a simple gold band in between his forefinger and thumb.

"You didn't." Skylar couldn't keep the shock, surprise, and excitement at bay if she tried.

"I most certainly did."

Dean started to slip it onto his finger, but Skylar stopped him. He rose a perfect eyebrow in question, and as if to answer him, she took the band and glided it down his finger in the same way he had with her own beautiful ring.

Lacing their fingers together, Skylar looked up at him with adoration. "Never take it off. I want every woman who looks at you to know that you're taken."

Dean laughed. "Woman are bat shit crazy and competitive as hell, Sky. This little gold piece is liable to make them pounce faster than a bitch in heat."

Skylar stuck her lip out to pout, realizing that he was probably right. But for the first time ever, she trusted Dean Winchester to keep his vows. He leaned down and bit her bottom lip, making her instantly smile against his gorgeous mouth.

"Do you trust me," he said in a low and sultry voice.

"Always." And with that one word, Skylar knew that she meant it with every fiber of her being.

Dean bent down to grasp her behind her knees, effortlessly lifting her to carry her back inside the dimly lit hotel room. The giant king-sized bed looked inviting with its stark white comforter and sheets. It was just as soft as she imagined when her back met the material, Dean hovering above her with the most tender look she had ever seen come from this dangerous and captivating man.

If her heart wasn't securely tucked inside her chest, Skylar was certain it would explode in that moment. The balcony doors continued to stand wide open, allowing a gentle breeze to touch her skin, while the faint voices of tourists below drifted to her ears.

But she couldn't move. All she was capable of accomplishing was lying still while she watched him undress. She peered at him through heavy lids as his leather jacket slid down his toned arms before landing on a nearby chair. His expert fingers then undid the buckle of his belt, a motion that she had come to love since that first night he kissed her after their first fight as husband and wife.

The tight black t shirt clinging to his body was discarded, quickly followed by his jeans. Standing in the dim light with nothing on but his necklace, boxer briefs, and gold wedding band, Skylar had to clench her legs lightly together to relieve some of the pressure that was beginning to build between her thighs.

He was the most beautiful thing she had ever laid eyes on.

Dean joined her on the bed, placing his hands on either side of her body, gazing down with a look of lust and uncertainty.

"We can wait if you want to," Dean said. Skylar could sense that he was saying those words out of obligation, though he didn't mean a word of it. As he spoke, Dean brought a finger to the material of her dress that covered her breast, dragging it down until she was exposed to his gaze. He bent his head low to capture her nipple in his mouth, flicking and sucking on it.

"Please." Skylar writhered beneath him, not sure what she was begging him for. She was pleading with him, and she hated to beg for anything. But only Dean could make the ache go away.

"Please what," Dean whispered against her skin, hooking a finger into the material covering her other breast and dragging it down until both were free. His lips found her other nipple, biting down tenderly before showing it the same amount of attention as he had the other.

Skylar parted her legs naturally, lifting her hips to get closer to Dean. He lowered himself the rest of the way, nestling between her parted thighs while continuing the slow torture with his mouth. She could feel how hard he was against her center. It was impossible to imagine that the thin material that continued to cover both of their bottom halves was the only thing separating them.

"I want you," she answered in response. The sound of her own voice foreign to her ears.

"Mmmmm," Dean groaned, vibrating against her chest. He lifted himself up on one elbow, dragging the thin material of her dress upward until it was discarded and laid aside. "You're so fucking beautiful, Sky," he breathed, taking in every inch of her body with his glazed over eyes. Despite his reassuring words, she was beginning to feel a little unsure of herself when it came to sex. Dean had been with more women than she could possibly imagine. Chances were, _he_ didn't have a clue about how many women he had slept with over the years.

Hooking a finger into the side of her panties, Skylar reached down to stop him before he could slide them down her legs. He looked at her with a mixture of impatience and amusement. "I already asked you if you wanted to wait, Baby Girl. You can't stop me now that I'm so fucking close to heaven."

"I…I'm not stopping you. I just…"

"You just what?" Dean asked, bending down to kiss the side of her neck, nibbling at the exposed skin. Goosebumps rose all over Skylar's body at the incredible sensation.

"I'm just not sure what I'm supposed to do. I know you've been with so many wo…"

"Shhhh," he demanded. Dean put a hand over her mouth, giving her a hard stare. "Finish that sentence, and I'll beat your cute little ass."

The empty threat hung in the air between them. Dean removed his hand, running a thumb along Skylar's bottom lip. She knew that she was an idiot to think that Dean wouldn't like being with her. But he had always preferred fast women in the past. Her hesitation was understandable.

Dean kissed the corner of her mouth. He reached down to once again hook two fingers into the side of her panties, slowly dragging them down her legs. "All you have to do is open these sweet thighs for me, Baby." He placed a trail of kisses down her leg wherever his fingers had just touched. The sensation caused her body to ignite and any fear she had disappear.

Skylar didn't notice that her underwear was completely gone until Dean grasped the back of each leg, opening her wide to his gaze. She fought against him slightly, but he easily parted her. "So gorgeous. You're already so wet for me," Dean growled. He nestled her knees over his shoulders before dipping his head low, kissing upward on each thigh before coming into contact with her throbbing flesh. His full lips touched her completely.

Skylar's trance was lost for a moment as she realized what he was doing. That wasn't his fingers like it had been in the past. He was touching her with his mouth…with his tongue. At first, she tried to close her legs, but it only planted him more firmly against her center. Dean grabbed her by the back of the knee, opening her wide. His tongue flicked against her clit before sucking it into his mouth, only to be released. He repeated the delicious sensation over and over until she clutched the soft comforter tight for support. Her whole body shook, and soon she was moving her hips against his mouth, hoping to somehow get closer.

"Mmmm, so sweet, Baby," he murmured before slipping a finger inside. She bucked against him, feeling herself grow higher and higher until her body tightened and the breath that had been coming out quickly subsided until she was unable to breath at all.

"That's it, Baby Girl. Come for me," Dean's words of encouragement were all she needed to hear for her body to explode. Her legs were violently shaking against his hot skin as he continued to kiss and lick each inch of her, until the orgasm had left her body, leaving her sedated.

With one final suck on her clit, Dean slowly kissed himself up Skylar's abdomen until he was completely settled between her thighs. She tensed for a moment when she felt him pressed against her. At some point, he must have taken off his own bottoms. "I'm gonna make love to you. Just relax, Baby."

And with those words, Dean pressed into her, filling her completely. She screamed a little louder than she had anticipated. The pain was intense; much worse than she had imagined it would be. However, he stayed still and unmoving, whispering sweet words into her ear while running an expert hand up and down her flushed skin. Soon, the pain turned to a dull ache and she began to relax.

He moved inside of her, pulling all the way out before shoving back inside until every inch of her was hugging him tight. The groans coming from deep within his throat were driving her crazy on a whole new level. How could someone like her be giving him as much pleasure as he was giving to her? Skylar clung to Dean's back frantically as he pounded into her, quickening his thrusts.

Skylar could feel her body tightening again as he drove into her over and over. She widened her legs, begging to gain closer access until she began to shake again. Dean wrapped her tight in his arms, pulling her even near. "That's it. Fuck, Baby. Come on my cock." She came again, even harder than she had the first time. Within seconds, Dean was following, spilling himself inside her.

They laid together like that for several moments before pulling apart. Skylar rested her head against Dean's chest, once again listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat as it returned to normal. In this moment, life was perfect. Her husband had just made love to her for the first time, and nothing, not even the end of the world, could ruin this time spent together.

* * *

Dean ran his fingers through Skylar's dark tresses, listening to her even breathing as she snuggled against him in her sleep. The doors to the balcony remained open despite the dropped temperature as night settled over their little slice of heaven.

He supposed he should get up and shut the doors, but the last thing he wanted to do was leave his wife's side while she slept peacefully after he had just made love to her. How in the hell did he get so lucky? In the back of his mind, he was reminded of how young she was, and it plagued him. But what if they waited and was never given the opportunity to experience something so perfect together? What if tonight was all they had, and tomorrow Lucifer showed up on their doorstep and ended everything? He couldn't bear the thought.

It was the first time in his life that he had ever made love to someone. Usually he just fucked them and tossed them aside. Sure, he had his repeats, like the waitress at Don's Diner. But he never looked at any of them as more than a piece of ass to get him off.

Being with Skylar was a whole new experience for Dean. He wanted to pleasure her and could give a shit about his own selfish needs. Of course, it had been mind-blowing for him too, but watching her come had been surreal. He loved his girl more and more with each passing moment, and he was beginning to live if only to make her happy.

Dean stared at his cell phone on the bed side table. It was taunting him to say the least. Since turning it off that morning, he hadn't tried to check any of his messages. He was sure that there were a shit ton waiting with a vengeance to crash him back to reality.

It wasn't smart to leave his cell off when the apocalypse was literally waiting at their doorstep. Against his better judgement, Dean reached over to turn it back on, wincing when it began to buzz to life. He sighed in relief as Skylar continued to sleep peacefully next to him, a soft smile lingering on her swollen lips. Dean kissed her forehead as he brought the phone to his ear and began listening to the endless voice messages left for him that day…mostly from Castiel.

They weren't that important, mostly scolding him for taking off in the middle of a supernatural war and how he was too impulsive. It wasn't until the fifth voice message that he began to listen in earnest.

"Dean." It was Sam's voice this time, sounding panicked. "You need to call me back. Something happened to Cass and we need to go see Chuck. Maybe he can help us out and tell us what happened to Cass. With Lucifer out of his cage, I don't want to take any chances."

Dean shut his cell, closing his eyes in fear and frustration. This cannot be happening right now. Two weeks. He only asked for two fucking weeks alone with his wife, and he couldn't even get a full day without shit hitting the fan.

Carefully, Dean pulled himself away from Skylar's sleeping form. He was reluctant to leave her, but if he didn't call Sam back immediately, he wouldn't get any sleep that night. Quietly walking to the balcony, Dean closed the double doors and gazed out at the dark water before calling his younger brother. It wasn't even midnight yet and Sam answered on the second ring.

"Dean!?"

"Yeah, it's me. What in the hell do you mean 'something happened to Cass?"

"We were arguing about you taking off and then suddenly there was a bright light and he was just…gone."

"Well, Sammy, that's what angel's do. They like to blind you with a light before playing some kind of mind-fuck disappearing act on you. What did you expect?"

"No," Sam said firmly. "This is different, Dean. We were in the middle of a conversation when suddenly he like…exploded."

"Exploded?"

"Yeah, exploded…in chunks."

"But angels don't explode into chunks."

"Dean, obviously I am aware of that fact, but I know what I saw. That's why we need to get to Chuck and see if he can tell us what happens next. You know…in our story."

Dean shut his eyes and groaned, thinking about the profit who had published books with every single detail pertaining to their life, including sex.

 _Shit._

Dean whipped his head around in the direction of his hotel room. He would kill that mother fucker if he published a new book with each detail of his and Skylar's physical relationship. When they first ran into the _Supernatural_ series and Chuck, Dean had skimmed through each novel. Skylar had been an active person throughout the books. This new little detail was bound to make for some 'erotic' reading for fans of the series.

"Yeah, alright. Um, I'll meet you at Chuck's tomorrow."

"Okay, thank you."

"Yeah," Dean said with agitation, about to shut his phone.

"And Dean," Sam began.

"Yeah, Sammy?"

"I'm sorry about ruining your honeymoon."

"It was my fault for thinking we could get away from all of this…even if it was meant to be temporarily. It's time to raise some hell and gank these sons-of-bitches once and for all."


	21. Chapter 21

_In a world where hunters are branded to one another, Skylar bore a mark identical to Dean's. The red scar signified their fate to one day join as one and fight the dark forces of evil together. She was only a child but was much stronger than anyone could have ever imagined. Why did the universe bring them together? What evil were they meant to conquer? Was it a mere coincidence, or was there a greater purpose to their destiny?_

 _Skylar watched Dean from afar, suddenly feeling much older than her twelve years of age. Blood was pouring down his handsome face; his lip curled back and shaking from the violent slaughter. No, this wasn't another monster that Dean had vanquished._

 _It was a human._

 _Dean told her often that humans were much more vicious than supernatural beings. Human's were evil without a purpose. Sometimes you had to murder those that were alive so that innocent people, such as herself, could continue to live._

 _He sauntered over to her slowly and with trepidation. Dean studied Skylar's features for any sign of disgust, but there was none. It was as if she understood what must be done to save humanity. The rules of law did not apply to hunters. Hunters were above the law, for without them, all humanity would cease to exist._

"Sky."

 _Dean reached out to her, his hands stained red. But she did not pull away. She allowed his blood-soaked fingers to trace against her skin, reveling in the feel of his dangerous presence that somehow made her feel alive for the first time since her mother's death. This was the man she would one day marry. This was the man that she would one day fight with…fight for. He was her destiny, and she was no longer willing to fight against it._

"Sky."

 _She melted into Dean's touch, her heart accelerating to a dangerous level. He would leave her again, and this moment would become a distant memory. But he would come back._

 _He always came back._

"Skylar!"

Skylar jumped at the sound of Dean's voice. She turned around and gazed at three pairs of eyes who were watching her with intense interest from Chuck's couch as she held a copy of Supernatural in her hands.

When Dean had woken her up that morning to tell her that Cass was missing, she was ashamed to admit that the first real thought to enter her head had been relief. Maybe the other angels could follow suit and explode in the process. Skylar was still determined to never again stare death in the face. She had silently dressed and got in the passenger seat of the Impala. Dean was determined to do what he must, and Skylar was determined to stay by her husband's side.

However, she hadn't spoken an entire word that day. This was supposed to be her moment alone with Dean. What if last night was all they were given? She remembered the way Dean had touched every inch of her body, making love to her until she was satisfied, and her heart cried for that precious moment to never end.

But reality came crashing back to them with a vengeance, determined to not let them bask in the sweet moment that they had shared for a few short hours.

Once Dean had her attention, his booming voice returned to a soft whisper that he was beginning to adopt when speaking to her.

"We need to go find Zachariah and find out what the hell is going on. Chuck said that Cass is dead, and without the blade, that doesn't make any sense. Let's go."

"No."

Dean turned around, halting his hand on the doorknob. "Excuse me?"

His question wasn't angry or mocking. It was like he hadn't heard her at all.

"I…I'm going to stay here. You go find Zachariah."

"Baby," Dean said in a hushed tone as he rushed over to her, leaning down, one hand resting on the back of the couch. "I'm not letting you out of my sight. I know that I promised you a honeymoon and I'm fucking sorry that it got cut extremely short, but once this whole thing is taken care of, I promise that you and I, just the two of us, will go away by ourselves."

Skylar wanted to believe Dean's words, but there was no guarantee that once he walked out that door, she would ever lay eyes again on the man that she had come to fiercely love again. She wasn't sure she could survive such a loss.

"I don't want to go. I'll just slow you down," she said, putting on her best fake smile. "Chuck is a profit. I think I'm safe enough here."

"From demons," Dean pressed. "Not angels. And we now know that those hypocritical psychos are way worse than some black-eyed assholes."

Skylar's smile faltered until her lips shook against her will. "Please."

Dean gazed away, running a hand over his stubbled jaw. "Chuck?" he asked in question.

"Yeah, yeah. She can stay here as long as she wants," Chuck said in a hurry while gathering a pile of papers off the hardwood floor.

"I won't be long, Baby," he bent down to drop a tender kiss on her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Skylar watched him walked out of the small home, her heart leaving with him.

* * *

"You weren't kidding when you said something was wrong her," Sam said while sliding into the passenger seat of the Impala.

The tires squealed as Dean pulled out onto the street, Baby's accelerator pressed to the floor. "That's why I wanted a few weeks for us, Sammy. We couldn't even get a few hours before all this shit happened. How in the hell am I supposed to keep my wife happy and sane when I can't even keep a simple promise? Life won't stop throwing fucked up shit our way long enough to catch our breath."

Sam scoffed.

"What?" Dean asked, his voice on edge.

"Dean," Sam began carefully, weighing his words. "Branding happens so that you won't breed with a civilian. You and Sky…I'm glad that the two of you have suddenly fallen madly in love with one another, but you need to stay focused. Look at the bigger picture. Sky wasn't brought into your life so that you could lay in bed all day and recite sappy love poems to one another. She was brought into your life for this, Dean…To fight the devil."

Dean's face darkened. "One…I wouldn't recite a sappy love poem if Lucifer himself had a knife against my balls. And two! So help me God, I will drag that demonic fuck back to hell myself if he comes within a mile of my wife."

Sam gave a heavy sigh but was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. Where in the hell did he get off saying that saving the world was more important that Skylar was? Dean wasn't as blinded as his younger brother thought him to be. Otherwise he would have told him to fuck off last night instead of driving to Georgia and knocking on Chuck Shurley's front door to find answers about Castiel and their doomed future.

He would have rather stayed in that haven with Skylar, running his fingertips along the smooth skin of her perfect body. He should be making love to his wife repeatedly. But instead, he was forced to chase down angels who were determined to use him in their fight against Lucifer.

Dean recalled that morning when he had woken Skylar up, a lazy grin touching her pretty features. She laid naked to his gaze, letting the blankets fall from her sleepy form. She trusted him completely with her body and her heart. For someone who had lived his life reckless and sinful, he couldn't fathom how something so perfect was his for the taking.

What had he done right?

Skylar had been the only light to shine through his dark existence. He would do anything within his power to save the world, if only to have one more day with his saving grace.


	22. Chapter 22

Dean stumbled into the darkened room, nearly falling off balance from the amount of whisky he had consumed over the past several hours. He was doing everything within his power to stop the drinking and keep his temper under control. But after listening to Zachariah and his pathetic speech about destiny, he needed something strong to take the edge off.

 _Vessel of heaven, my ass._

Apparently, he wasn't supposed to save the world after all. He was only meant to let Michael take a ride in his meat suit so that the archangel could pound Lucifer into the ground once and for all, bringing on the apocalypse. He'd be damned if he let anything, including the one and only Michael, take the reigns over his own body.

He was too damn handsome to let someone else enjoy the ride.

Dean lifted the bottle clutched in his fist to his lips, taking a long drink. Chuck's 'guest' bedroom consisted of a lumpy pull out sofa surrounded by a floor littered with loose papers on a stained carpet. The prophet's cleanliness and hygiene left little to be desired.

The only good thing to come from their 'meeting' had been Castiel's sudden appearance as he ganked the sons-of-bitches that had accompanied Zachariah. Castiel had no idea how he had been put back together after Zachariah literally blew him to smithereens for helping the Winchesters and going against heaven's orders. His only guess had been God himself, and Dean was beginning to suspect he was right.

Maybe the Almighty was listening after all.

Dean sat down on the makeshift bed as gently as his intoxicated self would allow so he wouldn't awaken the sleeping form beside him. It was past midnight. Chuck had said Skylar had been awake until recently, worried about him. If she opened her eyes to discover him drunk, or as drunk as he was capable of getting considering the amount of alcohol he had abused over the years, he was liable to catch hell for not coming straight back after his meeting with heaven's flying butt monkey.

Of course, he wouldn't mind riling up his wife. It would be better than this soft spoken, introverted side of her he had been given ever since her near-death experience where hell had opened up and nearly swallowed her whole.

The small light filtering in from the window cast a gentle glow against Skylar's face. She was turned on her side towards him, a deep troubled frown creasing her features. Dean carefully sat his bottle on the floor next to him and scooted down until his face rested inches from her own. He took the time to study her and really look at his wife. A few months of wedded bliss was more than he had bargained for.

Her birthday was in three weeks. He would have to buy her a gift, something meaningful and not stupid.

It wasn't only the realization that Michael wanted to take a ride in his body that was bothering him so much. No, not even close.

" _Your destiny was written long ago, boys. Brother against brother. Michael against Lucifer. They will meet on the battlefield and there will be a war. You will be their vessels and you will say 'yes.'_

Zachariah's words would haunt him for a very long time to come. But he and Sam had gotten out of crazier situations than this before. Well, maybe not crazier, but they had still been insane, non-the-less.

And then the angel had the audacity to mention his sweet wife. Apparently there was something they continued to want to hide from them.

Shocker.

Something told Dean that if they were able to figure it out, then maybe…just maybe they could put an end to this whole ordeal. Rescue humanity and save his marriage in one fell swoop.

It sounded like a damn good plan to him.

He would have to call Bobby in the morning. Bobby was great at figuring crazy shit out. Even the end of the world was proving to be too much for his old friend who was more like a father to him than his own dad had been growing up. And now Bobby was in a wheel chair because he had somehow overcome a demon possession long enough to save Dean's life.

Shaking the thought from his mind, Dean leaned forward to place a light kiss against Skylar's lips. He pulled back to graze his thumb against her furrowed brow, optimistic that she would somehow relax in her sleep. It wasn't long after that that Dean began to fall into his own trouble sleep, hoping that Bobby could turn up with the answer.

The answer that may have been right in front of them all along.

* * *

Skylar picked at her burnt bacon, trying to listen to Dean's phone call from the other room. He was leaning forward with a hand against his forehead, sunglasses covering his eyes.

He was hungover.

It was a look that she had become accustomed to over the years. Whenever Dean put on sunglasses while inside, he had clearly been drinking too much the night before. She was furious. How dare he get plastered while she paced Chuck's cluttered home, worried for his safety, and the entire time he was getting drunk. If it hadn't been for the mark that burnt out when he had once died, then she would have gone insane with worry.

Dean stood abruptly, shoving his phone into his back pocket.

"I told Bobby what we know. He's going to look into it. I said that we'll show up on his doorstep in two days."

"Two days?" Sam said, sitting his orange juice down on the table. "He lives in North Dakota. We'll have to drive straight through to make that."

"Right," Dean said, picking up a glass of tomato juice and chugging it down, wincing. "You and I will take shifts. And since my head is pounding like a bitch, you drive first."

Without another word, he headed outside, leaving the door wide open, expecting them to follow immediately.

Sam offered her an apologetic shrug. "It was a rough night, Sky. Don't hold it against him."

"I'm not," she offered a similar shrug in response. "Life's been less than stellar lately. I don't think it would kill him to pick up his cell and give me a call, however."

"I should have called too. It's just…after Zachariah, and everything that happened…everything that he said, hell I had a couple drinks myself."

"Hopefully Bobby can help," Skylar said, more for herself than anyone else.

Sam nodded in agreement. "Bobby's great at pointing us in the right direction. He's saved our asses more times that I can count. We better get moving." He turned towards Chuck, a forced smile on his lips. "Thanks for the information and hospitality, Chuck."

"Anytime, Sam. Just be careful and I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Me too. For all of us."


	23. Chapter 23

Sam smirked as he took a bite of his salad.

After spending a lifetime as Dean's number one priority, Skylar had bumped him out of first place.

He had watched his older brother drive across the country, leaving broken hearts in his wake. Rarely did they encounter a new city where Dean didn't spend the night in some waitress or bartenders' bed.

And during all of this, he had been branded to Skylar.

Dean had never taken branding seriously when it came to commitment and being faithful. However, he always made sure that his future wife was taken care of.

Well, at least as taken care of as she could be considering Ike was her father.

Sam was beginning to feel like a third wheel more and more every day. He watched the two of them from across the table as Skylar dropped a fry smothered with cheese into his brother's mouth. They both took a bite of their artery clogging, extra bacon cheeseburgers, and continued to talk among themselves, oblivious to Sam's presence.

There was no awkwardness. Nothing was being forced. Dean's eyes shined as he watched Skylar talk about some movie coming out that was based on her favorite book series. It was clear that he could care less about the topic, but he enjoyed her enthusiasm.

He promised to take her when it was released.

Dean was an actual husband who loved his wife.

Sam never thought he would live to see the day. He never doubted Dean's intentions towards Skylar. He would marry her out of duty and obligation. He always did what he was supposed to when it came to being a hunter. Dean had followed Dad's orders, and he had followed the orders of that hideous mark all of them bore.

Skylar was a good kid growing up, though she and Dean would bicker endlessly despite their age difference.

Dean was too bossy.

Skylar was too sassy.

But for Sam, they were too much alike.

Sam had told Dean that the trips were pointless to go see her…that branding was stupid. But in all honesty, he couldn't sit in the Impala one more minute and listen to their endless duets as they sang along to Dean's ancient cassette tapes.

Her favorite song was Night Moves by Bob Seger, and the guys were pretty sure she had no idea what the lyrics even meant. But Dean would smirk and sing alongside her, creating a monster in the process.

The two of them were content together, even back then, though they hadn't been aware of that fact themselves. Often, Sam envied what they had.

He and Olivia never saw eye to eye and couldn't stand the sight of one other. How had the universe picked her as a mate for someone like himself? He was relieved when she decided to head to Louisiana. She had made the decision to run from their destiny, and Sam couldn't have been happier.

But it wasn't until this past April that Sam began to notice a difference happening between Dean and Skylar. After searching for nearly a year, and finding no way to save Dean from hell's grasp, he knew that it was time to tell her. It was the first time in a long while that Sam had tagged along to that small town in Illinois, forty-five minutes south of Chicago.

But showing up on that doorstep wasn't the kid that Sam had remembered. She was on the brink of being a young women. It took him a moment to realize he hadn't seen her since she was twelve years old and Dean was lying in a hospital bed. Sam rarely gave two thoughts about the pretty young girl that was often 'out of sight, out of mind.' But each time Dean was near death, Sam seemed to always remember.

And Dean hated it.

He would give Sam hell for bringing her around when he was at his most vulnerable and weakest. He would say that she didn't need to see him like that. For instance, several months before their brush with death when hunting the yellow eyed demon…before their father was taken and Dean's life was spared, he had been electrocuted and his heart was giving out.

'If looks could kill' was the only way to describe Dean's green eyes that day as they were rimmed with red. It was easy to see that he was on the brink of death, even through his anger. But as Skylar climbed onto the bed beside him and began flipping through the horrible day time TV channels, tears shining in her vibrant blue eyes that she refused to let fall, his brother's gaze softened as he rested his head against the pillows, his fingertips lightly stroking her dark hair.

He never said it out loud, but his actions were a way of thanking Sam for somehow getting her to him in case these were the last moments they would ever have together.

And now, with no way out of the Crossroads deal Dean had made in desperation when Sam was shot and slowly decaying, it was time to accepts fates cruelty. They told Skylar everything…that Dean was going to hell and there was no way out.

No matter how many times Dean had been on the brink of death in the past, this was too much, even for her. It was the first time she had cried. They were silent tears. Skylar didn't sob. She felt like she had to be stronger than that. But the tears fell down her cheeks against her will.

She rose from her spot on the porch swing before turning around to face Dean. Anger…fear…sadness…every emotion imaginable crossed her features that night, but all she said in a broken voice was, "you're an idiot."

And those were the last words she ever spoke to him.

Dean didn't try to go after her. Sam wasn't sure his brother knew what to say or how he should act. Should he be mad that she called him an idiot or should he try to comfort her because she was hurting and refused to show her pain?

Sam and Dean climbed back into the Impala and drove away. Dean had shed a few tears himself from the driver side the farther they got out of town, but Sam would never let his older brother know that he had seen him cry.

Both were broken, but too stubborn to admit it, even when it would be the last time they ever laid eyes on one another…or so they thought. Somewhere over the years they had fallen in love, and Sam knew it before either of them ever did.

And now, in some small diner in middle America, he watched his brother laugh with the only girl he would ever have eyes for.

There was no other option than to stop Michael and Lucifer from fighting, with or without the Winchesters as their vessels. Fate had been a cruel mistress throughout their lives. But for the first time, Dean was happy…and he deserved to be happy with the only thing he had ever truly been blessed with in this torturous existence called life.

* * *

Dean knew that he shouldn't be doing this. This was Bobby's house after all. He had been more of a father to him than John ever was, but he hadn't been with his wife since their short stay in Florida. He had only fucked her once, and once would never be enough.

Bobby already disapproved of he and Skylar sharing a room, despite being legal man and wife. He had insisted Dean take the lumpy pull out couch that was hidden underneath a pile of books and papers. He had told Bobby to mind his own business before leading Skylar upstairs to the back bedroom that was covered in dust and clutter.

After ripping the dingy sheets from the mattress and placing new ones on (they always kept a few spares because housekeeping was downright disgusting in many hotels they stayed in), Dean slid Skylar's jeans and panties mid-thigh. She was already panting for him despite the slight whimper of protest considering they weren't in the privacy of some hotel room, but upstairs in a strange bedroom with Bobby and Sam nearby.

"Climb on the bed," Dean whispered in her ear while slowly dragging the material of her t-shirt upwards, keeping his hand pressed against her flat stomach and over her covered breasts until it was discarded and tossed to the floor. Dean unfastened her pink bra with two fingers, a habit that came in handy when trying to save time. He mentally cursed himself for that little trick he had learned over the years, but luckily his wife didn't seem to notice.

"Dean…"

"The doors locked, Baby. No ones going to come in. Promise."

"But what if they know what we're doing?"

The slight panic in her voice make him chuckle. From all the times he had touched her over the past few months, her innocence was still astounding.

"I don't give a fuck if they know I can't stand one more second not being inside you."

At his seductive words, though hesitant, she began to drag her jeans downward, but Dean halted her actions, pulling them back up slightly.

"Keep them on," he growled, the lust evident in his deep voice.

"But how…?"

"I _said_ climb on the bed."

Skylar placed her knees on the edge of the mattress slowly, giving Dean a mouthwatering view of her perfect round ass. He could feel himself straining against the fabric of his jeans as he undid the clasp and freed himself, holding his cock heavy in his palm.

He placed his hand on the back of her neck pushing her down until her cheek rested against the fresh sheets, giving him a mouthwatering view of her backside and pussy.

After rubbing himself against her entrance several time, Dean thrust himself inside her, moaning at how tight she was. Her grip was tauter than the first time. The position itself was always tighter, but Skylar was squeezing him, ridged.

"Relax, sweetheart," Dean smirked while running a hand up the smooth skin of her back. Dean grazed over the small tattoo next to her shoulder blade that he had forced her to get once they had learned about the Devil's trap from Bobby nearly four years ago. She had put up a fight about it, and he never liked the thought of her getting inked at such a young age, but precaution was necessary. It was a guaranteed way to keep a demon from controlling you.

He began to pound into her, loving the way her curves moved against his hard body. He couldn't help but take her this way after his lust had been building ever since that first night he had gotten a taste of how sweet she was. Skylar clutched the sheets as she bit her lip, trying not to cry out.

"Does that feel alright?"

"Am….amazing," she said, arching her back further to try and bring him even deeper inside her.

Dean reached his hand around and began to massage her clit. His finger slid against the small bud with ease, already wet from her own desire.

He was beginning to feel how close to the edge as a whimper escaped her lips and her body began to shake.

Dean loved the way her she shook when she came for him.

He continued to thrust into her with long strokes as they rode out her orgasm together. Grabbing both of her hips, Dean continued pounding into her, rougher than he had intended to be. But her contractions around his cock were driving him to become animalistic. He body was nearly suspended midair before he dropped her knees back on the mattress and withdrew from her warmth, emptying himself onto her back.

The moment he released his hold with the other hand, she collapsed against the mattress, her body continuing to convulse, flushed and covered in his cum.

It was prettiest sight he had ever seen.

Dean bent down to place a kiss of her bottom, smacking the area where his lips had just touched. She giggled, but continued to lay unmoving, too satiated to do anything but lie still while her body tried to come back down from their shared high.

He fastened his jeans, leaning down to retrieve a clean white t-shirt from the duffel bag at his feet. He wiped her clean while she kept her blue eyes closed, a small smile touching the corner of her lips.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock_

"Dean!?"

"You have got to be kidding me," Dean mumbled.

"Dean!?"

"I heard you the first time, Sammy! What do you want?"

"Bobby is pitching a fit. You better get downstairs now."

"The old man waited a couple days for us to get here. Tell him to hold his balls for a few more minutes."

Quite ensued before Sam lowered his voice, yet remained audible from the other side of the door. "Bobby thinks he found something."

Skylar's head popped up for the first time, her blue eyes peaked with worry and interest. There was no way in hell Dean was going to let her go downstairs and listen to the doom that was liable to poor from Bobby's unfiltered mouth.

"I'll be right down," Dean told Sam.

Skylar began to rise, but Dean pushed her back down, placing a kiss on the side on her neck. "You stay here, Baby Girl."

"But shouldn't I…"

"Shhhh. It's nothing for you to worry about. Now be a good girl and go to sleep. It's late. I'll be back up as soon as I hear what he has to say."

Her eyes flashed for a minute at Dean's words, clearly upset that he was treating her like a child. Maybe he should let her come downstairs. Hiding the inevitable from her would do them no good and he had yet to tell her about Michael and Lucifer's plan to hijack their bodies.

But she was still in a vulnerable state, even if she continued to not voice what plagued her.

She shook her head slightly before laying back against the mattress. The hunger she felt only moments ago was now replaced with a worried crease against her brow.

Dean leaned down and kissed her sweet mouth, delving deeper as a moan rose from her.

"I'll never let anything happen to you, Baby."

"You can't promise that," Skylar answered. While her eyes were soft from his words, this life was the most dangerous job anyone could ever have. A job that they never ask for nor wanted, but was forced to undertake until each one of them would wind up dead.

No, he couldn't promise that nothing would ever happen to her.

But if she were ever taken from him, he would do everything within his power to get her back.

He would die trying because no life was worth living without her in it.


	24. Chapter 24

"You're an idjit, Dean!"

"Missed you too, Bobby," Dean smirked as he shoved a fork full of apple pie into his mouth. "Mmm. Where in the hell did you get homemade apple pie? Freakin' amazing."

"Turns out when you lose the use of your legs, the towns folk start to feel sorry for you." Bobby said in a churlish tone. "Now do you think you could focus for two damn minutes without eating me out of the house and doing God knows what with that girl underneath my roof?"

Dean swallowed hard at Bobby's tone, slowly placing the pie back onto the kitchen table before sauntering into the front room. Usually, he would roll his eyes at the older man's cantankerous attitude. After all, this was Bobby's normal mood. However, Dean continued to feel guilt for the man's current state of paralysis. Bobby saved his life, so the least he could do was attempt to listen to the old man's orders.

"Sorry," Dean muttered, leisurely taking a seat next to Sam.

Bobby looked down at the pile of books and papers in front of him, continuing to do the job of a hunter the old fashion way. He hated computers; said they were difficult to navigate. Apparently, he preferred flipping through endless pages before finding the answers desperately sought. But he was rarely wrong. Maybe these old books held more accuracy than the internet ever could?

"So what did you find?" Sam asked seriously, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"I don't think you're going to like what I have to say."

"We didn't travel for days expecting an easy solution, Bobby. Is it possible to stop them?" Dean couldn't hide his irritation.

"We're dealing with angels and demons' boys. This is way above any of our pay grade."

"So you're saying it's hopeless?" Sam asked.

"Not hopeless…it seems that we may have something in our possession that they don't." Bobby said, continuing to flip through the book on his old wooden desk before halting the pages.

"Okay, great! What do we have that can get rid of these sons-of-bitches once and for all."

Bobby ran a hand through his beard, hesitating before speaking.

"While there will be a battle between Michael and Lucifer to bring upon the apocalypse, it appears that the Bible has left out a very important detail. Michael's destiny is to defeat Lucifer in a fight…this we know. However, to send the devil back to hell, bringing on the apocalypse, they require an entryway. A portal that can be opened by a key of sorts." Bobby gritted his teeth, halting his words.

"Are you saying that we have this key?" Dean asked harshly, but with a trace of hope in his voice. "That's amazing. So we either trash the damn thing or rip open hell ourselves and send Lucifer back before Michael gets the chance. Problem solved."

"I'm not so sure it's an object, Dean."

"Meaning?" Sam asked with trepidation.

"You said that when Lucifer was released…it was Skylar's blood, mixed with Lilith's. Right?"

"So? They needed a virgin to open the gate, and that's what they got," Dean growled out. Sweat began to break out on his forehead as he clenched his fist tight. The sound of Skylar's name being brought into this conversation instantly sat him on edge.

"They did need the blood of someone pure…but not just any virgin. It had to come from something far more powerful than this world had to offer. God created a key that would be used to bring on the day of judgement. It hadn't been used since Lucifer was cast out of heaven the first time and hell was created just for him. It's been lying in dormant ever since, waiting until the end was near. You and Sam were born…the vessels. Not long after, the key was manifested and put under your protection. Who better to protect it than you, Dean, when it was created to help Michael?"

The blood drained from Dean's face as he took in Bobby's words. There had to be some sort of mistake. His sweet Skylar was not some object that these fuckers could use for their own petty fight. "No," Dean said, standing up to begin pacing back and forth.

"It's not a 100 percent fact," Bobby said, wheeling towards the brothers. "But if she is what I think she is, it's only a matter of time before Lucifer comes to find her. He's going to figure it out eventually. And when he does…"

"When he does, what?!" Dean glared at Bobby, the furry that he was beginning to learn to suppress was quickly rising to the surface.

"He's going to try to destroy her."

"There is no way in fucking hell that demonic piece of shit is laying one hand on my…"

"Dean!" Sam stood, placing one hand on his Dean's chest. "Calm down. We can figure this out. We always do." The reassurance in his little brother's words did little to subdue the fear and rage within Dean.

Sam turned to Bobby. "And what about the angels?"

Bobby shrugged. "Chances are they already know who she is. They just haven't told you because they know Dean will continue to protect her at all costs and they need her to reopen hell when it's time. In this case, I think they intend to keep the both of you in the dark."

Dean grabbed at the ends of his hair, closing his eyes in concentration. There had to be something. If Skylar was in fact the only thing that could open hell and throw Lucifer inside, there had to be a way to keep her safe and far away from the most risky and perilous situation ever created.

He had promised to protect her, and he would never go back on his word.

Dean went to the end of the desk, picking up the book that Bobby had gazed at only moments ago. He read through the 'legend,' each word making sense as to why the key would be pointed towards Skylar. It all made sense.

However, the word pure continued to jump out at him with each passage he read.

Pure

Authentic

Untainted

"When she opened hell the first time," Dean said while staring at the words. "She was a virgin."

"Yeah? So?" Bobby asked impatiently.

"So…she can't open the portal to throw Lucifer inside because I fu…"

"I THINK…what Dean is trying to say," Sam interrupted, not liking Dean's impending choice of words. "Is that Skylar isn't as innocent as she was the day Lucifer was freed."

Bobby's gaze turned from confusion to fury in an instant before settling on Dean with a glare that would set him ablaze faster than the fire and brimstone of the netherworld ever could.

"I was only kidding when I talked about you doing God knows what with her. What in the hell were thinking, boy?"

"She's my wife, Bobby," Dean said coolly, with a steely glare of his own.

"I could give two shits about that," Bobby said, wheeling himself away from the brothers and towards the alcohol cabinet, lifting a decanter and drinking strait from the bottle. "You've really screwed yourself with this one, Dean. What I don't understand is how the angels didn't put a stop to it when it happened."

"Castiel branded our ribs," Sam said. The angels can't know where we are unless they're tipped off."

"Fantastic." Bobby took another drink before taking a deep breath to calm his rage.

"I'm not following how this is a bad thing. If she can't do what she was designed for, then she is of no use to them." Dean added, trying to convince himself as much as he was the others.

"You idjits are more stupid than I thought. She is still the only key to hell that they have! The only thing that will trap Lucifer once and for all, bringing on the apocalypse. It's not going to be that easy and you know it!"

"Bobby's right."

The three men turned towards the monotone voice that they had come to know very well.

"Cass!"

"Dean," he acknowledged back.

"How did you find us?"

"I texted Sam and he told me."

"Of course he did."

"But Bobby is correct. If she is the only key, it won't be that easy to discard."

"You knew about this!" Dean yelled, taking angry steps towards his friend, a sudden feeling of betrayal taking over.

"I knew that there was a key…but no, I didn't know it could be Skylar. Not until recently when I overheard some of the angel's discussing a girl in your possession. And then I understood why the universe had branded the two of you; the destiny you both shared."

"But she isn't a virgin anymore! They can't just drain her of her blood and miraculously open some entryway into hell like they did before."

"It doesn't matter. Just look at her, Dean. She's still pure of heart. She's not tainted with demon blood the way Sam has been…she isn't a ruthless killing machine the way you. She's never been a hunter at heart or close to holding darkness within her. Yes, she isn't as pure as the angels would like her to be, but she is still capable of opening hell."

Dean glared at each one of them as they waited with bated breath for him to speak. The rage he had been holding inside for weeks was on the verge of erupting, and at that moment, he didn't care.

"So is that how it happens? They drain her blood again?"

Castiel hesitate, his expression changing slightly, which rarely happens. "You stopped her from falling into the pit, Dean. She was meant to plunge into hell so that she could open it from the inside. A pure sacrifice is what the keys main purpose is. She will be drug into hell before the day of judgement to do her job. The job she was created for."

"Created for! She wasn't created to be some sacrifice for an age-old feud because these assholes want to throw a temper tantrum."

"It isn't up to you, Dean."

"The hell it is," Dean said under his breath as he began making his way upstairs.

"Dean!"

Dean turned around at Castiel's voice, a murderous look in his green eyes. "If they want her because she's so pure of heart, it's time to turn my girl into something I've never wanted her to be."

"And what's that, Dean?" Sam asked quietly, already knowing the answer.

"Cold-blooded and without mercy…someone like me."


	25. Chapter 25

_No stop signs, speed limit_

 _Nobody's gonna slow me down_

 _Like a wheel, gonna spin it_

 _Nobody's gonna mess me around_

 _Hey Satan, paid my dues_

 _Hey mama, look at me_

 _I'm on my way to the promised land, whoo!_

 _I'm on the highway to hell_

 _Highway to hell_

 _I'm on the highway to hell_

 _Highway to hell_

"Don't you think these lyrics are a bit morbid for the situation, Dean?!"

"It's never the wrong time to crank some AC/DC, Baby Girl!"

Skylar gave Dean a sideways look from the passenger side of the Impala, one of her perfect eyebrows arching in confusion. Why in the hell was she sitting in some parking lot at 2 am while her husband sang at the top of his lungs, beating his steering wheel to death? If she didn't know any better, she would think he was drunk, if it weren't for the fact that he would never drink and drive, at least not with her in the car.

In fact, he took a moment to retrieve his coffee from the cup holder to take a sip, his long fingers continuing to tap against the wheel.

Every so often, his eyes would focus on an empty spot in the distance as if he were waiting for someone to make an appearance out of thin air.

Perhaps he was.

Skylar leaned forward and turned down the music. Dean gave her a look that was both comical and one full of agitation.

"I love the feeling of being awoken in the middle of the night and drug to God-knows-where with music playing so freaking loud, we might as well be at a rock concert," Skylar said, her words dripping with sarcasm. "But if we're just going to sit here, can we please go back and get some sleep?"

Dean took a deep breath, releasing a groan as the air left his lungs.

"Can't. Waiting on something."

Skylar waited for him to continue, but when Dean failed to elaborate, she could feel her patience wearing thin. She made a gesture for him to continue.

"We're on a hunt, Sky."

The words that fell from his lips were not something she cared to hear. "Why am I here?" The panic in her voice was hard to hide. "You should have brought, Sam. You know how useless I am."

"You're not useless, Babe. You're just…over protected. And that's my fault."

"You've taken me hunting several times, Dean. I either stand there like a deer in headlights, or I get knocked around while you gank whatever it is were hunting. I don't do anything but slow you down."

"Maybe," Dean agreed too quickly.

Skylar stumbled at his quick agreement, feeling slightly offended despite it being the truth. She asked again, "Then why am I here?"

Dean's eyes were soft upon her as he began to speak, but something in the distance caught his attention. He replaced his coffee in the cup holder while never taking his eyes away from the space ahead of them.

Skylar followed his gaze, squinting through the night. It was pitch black outside and a light drizzle was beginning to fall from the sky. But something caught her attention amidst the deserted sidewalk across the street. Someone was lifting the lid to the sewer system, glancing around frantically, before disappearing into the hole that lead beneath the streets.

Dean cut the engine. Without the heat blasting, Skylar immediately felt a chill run down her spine.

Shapeshifter.

"Let's go," Dean said.

Skylar watched as he existed the car and began making his way towards his intended destination, quickly halting his steps when she failed to follow. She was hoping that she would somehow go unnoticed, but her luck had been absolute shit lately. Dean came around the passenger side and yanked the door open, grabbing her by the elbow, and dragging her from the car.

"Hey!" she screeched. She wasn't used to Dean manhandled her anymore. Not like he used to. But there was no pain from his grasp, only firm determination.

Dean grabbed her by the back of her dark hair and yanked until her head was completely tilted back and his features were only centimeters from her own. It was something he had done most of their life when they would bicker and she refused to give him what he wanted. It was a motion that she had always secretly loved; the feel of his hand wrapped around her hair, pulling tight until she was held firmly in place and unable to move away from his overpowering body.

If anyone else had ever touched her this way, she would be sick to her stomach. But it was Dean. No matter how much those green eyes would flash with annoyance and fury, she felt safe.

"You're coming with me, and when I give the signal," Dean spoke through his teeth, his jaw working furiously as he brought an object upwards, the silver glistening as he moved it side to side. "You're going to drive this into its heart."

Skylar swallowed, finding the simple act difficult. When she didn't answer, Dean pulled her hair further, causing her to whimper. There was pain this time, but it was mixed with a dangerous amount of pleasure. The passion she felt for this man was out of her control. When she should be demanding that he unhand her, she instead felt her gaze drop to his lips. She wanted to kiss him in that moment, and as if reading her thoughts, Dean released his grip the tiniest bit…just enough to allow her access to him.

The moment her lips met his, the fire coursing through her body gathered between her thighs, making the ache nearly unbearable to withstand. Dean sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, biting down gently before releasing the sensitive flesh.

He pulled her away from the Impala, just far enough so that his hand could smack her ass, grabbing a fist full of her backside and squeezing firmly.

"Now if you're a good girl and do as I say," Dean said slowly, letting each filthy word graze over her flushed skin. "You can climb on my lap and ride the fuck outa me when we get back to the car."

* * *

Dean straddled the shapeshifter behind Skylar, his hand engulfing her fist at they drove the knife into its heart.

He had taken one hell of a beating…and it had felt amazing.

But each time he found an opening for Skylar to kill the bastard, she hesitated. It got to the point where he had to hold down their prey with one hand, grab his wife with the other, and finish the job himself. However, he needed Skylar to feel the rush that only a kill could provide.

"Stare into its eyes," Dean breathed against her ear as a sob escaped her lips.

Castiel had been right.

Her heart was too pure.

But he couldn't allow his only shining light to be cast into hell.

Dean twisted the knife farther, hearing it's flesh tear in the silence. Their skin was coated red from its blood.

"Watch it take its last breath, Baby Girl," he whispered, dropped a kiss against the soft skin of her bare neck.

Dean knew how fucked up he was. And now he was trying to taint his sweet girl with the same morbid disease that had always coursed through his own veins.

He got off from killing. It provided a power that no drug could ever supply.

Staring up at them was a new pair of lifeless eyes. Dean risked a glance at Skylar, noticing that the sobs had ceased as she silently looked at their victim. Only a flashlight swaying nearby provided them enough light to witness what they had just done.

She was a far cry away from being a real hunter. Hell, apparently she was never meant to be a hunter at all

She was the key to hell.

However, she was made to spend eternity in the place that had tormented his own thoughts night and day. He knew firsthand how harrowing, torturous, and agonizing hell was. How could he ever allow Skylar to be a sacrifice when cruel hell fire was the only thing awaiting her?

Dean gripped Skylar's grasp and yanked the silver knife from the shapeshifter's chest, gently pulling it from her tight grip. Her eyes remained riveted on its lifeless form as Dean rose to his feet, lifting Skylar up with one arm around her waist.

The walk back to the Impala was silent and wet as the rain pounded heavy against the pavement, but Dean felt oddly calm in that moment. This was what he had always wanted them to be.

To have a Bonnie and Clyde kind of relationship.

A reckless, impulsive, and dangerous love.

Shit, they may even meet their demise in the same way. Fate was a cruel mistress like that.

Dean opened the passenger side door for Skylar as she slid into her seat. A stunned look continued to sit upon her pretty face. He quickly got in on the other side and started up the Impala to blast the heat. Dean could feel Skylar's blue gaze on him, and it didn't take a genius to know that those sapphire eyes were raking down his body in a lust filled haze.

Maybe they were more alike that he had originally thought.

"You didn't do as I said, Baby." He smirked, knowing where her thoughts had gone. She was thinking about those words he had spoken to her about letting her ride the fuck out of him.

"I killed it!" she pouted.

"I killed it," Dean corrected. "Once again, you just stood there until it almost got the better of me… _almost_." Dean winked at her, but was rewarded with the deepest scowl he had ever seen. If Skylar only got angry when he denied her sex, then there were worse things to worry about.

His little wife turned around in a huff, crossing her arms over her chest. She was throwing a temper tantrum, which he figured was much better than cowering in fear at being forced to hunt. Dean sobered as he began to think about the reason for their current state of affairs. He wasn't ready to tell her everything. He wasn't ready to let her know about the hardships that were awaiting them right around the corner.

He wasn't ready to tell her that she was born to be hell's bitch.

"It may seem like I was born to do this," Dean said carefully, adverting his gaze away from his wife. "My dad used to shove a gun in my hand…tell me to take care of Sammy. And then he would leave for weeks at a time. I was only ten, but I knew that if I wasn't the one to blow away the monsters, no one would. Yeah, I got a taste for it. I started to crave it. But this life…"

Dean cleared his throat, gripping one hand tight against the steering wheel, trying hard to find the words that he had consciously avoided speaking for so long. "But this life is beautiful compared to hell. Sure, we have to watch our backs and hope that we make it through another day. But down there…you're just a soul. You might as well be flesh and bone because you can feel every inch of your skin being sliced away. The sound of your own screams are drowned out by the piercing cries of everyone else whose lives were so fucked up that they were thrown into the pit. What did they do to deserve to burn for eternity? And because you're only a soul, it never ends. The pain never goes away."

Dean took a deep breath, wondering if he should even continue. He was taking a stroll down memory lane…a memory he wished would have vanished the moment he was torn from the inferno. "Forty years I spent down there. And, unlike those other souls, I was offered a way out. I was weak, so I took it. I'm the reason the world is literally hanging on by a thread. I began ripping people apart the way Alistair had me. It became second nature and I fed off of their fear and pain. I was no better than any other demon."

Dean hadn't realized he was crying until Skylar lifted her hand to wipe his wet cheek. At that moment, he could care less about appearing weak in front of the love of his life. She had to understand what he was trying desperately to save her from. It seemed like an impossible task, but he would die trying.

"I never want you to experience that level of torture, Baby. I need you to know how to fight, even if that means fighting against angels and the devil himself. If we fail…" a sob broke through the surface and Dean halted, biting on his lower lip to try and regain some level of composure. "There's no coming back from the dead anymore. There's just heaven and hell. And if we end up down there, there's no saving us…saving you. There's no saving you. So pl…please."

"Shoot first, ask questions later."

Dean's head shot up at Skylar's soft voice as she quoted one of his favorite life lessons. Sam always felt that shooting first was impulsive and reckless. What if the supernatural being they were after didn't deserve to die? But more importantly…what if they did?

Taking risks is a part of living life. But no ghost, demon, vampire, or unnatural entity was worth risking your own life. Because this life was incredible when you could share it with someone worth having by your side.

"Shoot first, ask questions later," Dean concurred. He leaned forward and kissed a wet streak that had begun to fall down Skylar's own face. Her brilliant blue eyes looked even more majestic swimming in a pool of unshed tears.

His lips traced a line, traveling down her cheek until he placed a lingering kiss against the corner of her mouth. The rain was pounding heavy on the roof. She was back to panting and Dean had to admit that he loved how she reacted to him. They were much more than sex. If he could never be inside her again, he would continue to stay faithful and devoted to her, he had no doubt about that.

But this part of their marriage, their entire relationship, was still new to them. Something they felt would have to be suppressed for far longer was now within reach. He knew that he would never be fully satisfied, and it was a feeling he eagerly welcomed.

Dean reached down to pull the lever under his seat, shoving himself backward. In a matter of moments, Skylar was straddled across his lap, clinging to him desperately. Her actions were a lethal mixture of fear and desire.

But they both needed this. They needed one another.

With quick and clumsy fingers, she reached down to undo the clasp of his jeans until he was freed.

Dean grabbed Skylar by the waist, slowly gliding her warm center down his cock until he was buried completely within her. He lifted her up his length and back down again, repeating the motion over and over until they were both shivering from more than the freezing cold weather outside and their drenched clothing. It didn't take long for her to find her own rhythm, riding him with ease. She looked and felt fucking incredible as she moved her hips up and down, bouncing her ass as she continuously took every inch of him inside her.

Dean reached down to grab a cassette tape, popping it into the player amidst the incredible sensation that only Skylar could give. Moments later, music filled the Impala, causing her to falter slightly as a laugh escaped her lips. Dean smiled. He would never get tired of hearing that sweet sound.

"Really?" She asked in between her soft whimpers, amusement evident in her voice.

"It was always your favorite, Sweetheart."

Dean put Baby in drive, pulling out onto the deserted street with his windshield wipers turned on full blast. He sped through the red light, his girl firm against his body. He began to sing along with the cassette, a natural smile lifting the corner of his lips. With her hips still moving and her face buried in his neck, Skylar sweet voice began to belt out the lyrics too, not missing a beat.

 _Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy_

 _Out in the back seat of my '60 Chevy_

 _Workin' on mysteries without any clues_

 _Workin' on our night moves_

Maybe trying to corrupt his wife would turn out to be a lot more fun than he had ever imagined it to be.


	26. Chapter 26

Dean closed his eyes and breathed deep against the cool wind that rushed over his skin.

The distance was vast and vacant, and the old run-down shack behind him posed as a stark contrast to how beautiful Bobby's land truly was. Ever since he had taken Skylar out to hunt a few weeks ago for the first time, and the filthy raw sex they had afterwards while adrenaline continued to course throughout their bodies, her attitude had begun to change.

Momentarily, Dean was beginning to regret his attempt at making her a cold-blooded monster…killer like himself. The innocence in her eyes had started to fade. It was happening too fast. One of the things he loved most about his wife was how she had remained untainted by this cruel world.

However, he couldn't take any chances. If there was a way to keep her from being cast into hell, he had to do it…even if Skylar lost who she was in the process.

Today was her birthday.

Dean had thought about what to get her every day for the past few weeks and continuously came up empty handed…until he remembered a day long ago when Cora Evans had taken him aside and placed something beautiful into the palm of his hand.

Reaching into the pocket of his leather jacket, Dean pulled the pendant out and held it high, watching as it sparkled in the light of dawn. The emerald center was surrounded by several tiny diamonds. Out of curiosity, Dean once had it appraised to find that this piece of jewelry was worth more money than he scammed in a year.

He would be lying if he didn't admit to himself and everyone else that he once contemplated pawning the majestic piece. After all, what sane person would entrust something so valuable to a seventeen-year-old punk kid? But he remembered the look of trust in the eyes of Skylar's mother as she made him promise to give it to her daughter one day. One day when she found herself in trouble and in need. That the pendant would somehow bring comfort and protection. To the naked eye, it was just another necklace. But Dean had seen more tragedy, terror, and miracles in life to ever question the power of anything.

With one last glance into the distance, Dean turned on his heels and walked back towards Bobby's house. Opening the screen door, it creaked loudly against the quiet surroundings. Slowly making his way up the stairs, he entered the cluttered bedroom he currently shared with Skylar. Her half unclad form greeted his hungry gaze and he had to breathe deep to stifle the burning desire that was once again rising to the surface.

It was terrifying to think how susceptible he was to this woman. No one before her had ever caused him to break so easily.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Dean lightly traced his fingertips down her slender back, relishing in how her warm skin felt like satin. It was out of his control as he bent low and placed a tender kiss where his own skin had just lingered.

"Dean?"

"Yeah, Baby. It's me."

"What time is it?" she asked, the sleep in her voice heavy.

"Mmmmm. Around six, I would say."

"Why are you up so early?"

Dean smiled before placing a quick kiss on her shoulder. "I had to wish my girl a happy birthday."

Skylar gigged softly, rolling over onto her back to gaze up at him.

"You could have wished me a happy birthday at nine o'clock, also. That would have worked just fine."

"And give Sammy the chance to beat me to it? Never," he winked.

Her bright smile slowly faded, though her eyes continued to shine. "I love you," she said with such sincerity that Dean could feel his heart shatter. It was shattering for the emotion that he felt each time he watched her breathe, laugh, and love. It shattered for their future…it shattered for their mortality.

"I love you more," Dean said, forcing a half smile that he was certain failed to meet his eyes.

"Why do you look so sad then?"

"I'm not sad, sweetheart. I just have a lot on my mind, as usual." Before any more words could be spoken, Dean reached into his pocket to retrieve her gift, nervous of what her reaction would be. Would she be happy? Sad? Confused? Or think he was a cheapskate for not actually spending money on it?

He held the pendant up in the breaking light of dawn, watching carefully as her gaze settled on the glistening brilliance. Her gasp was audible as she sat upright, moving her arm to cover her breast instinctively. One small hand reached out, touching the center with her fingertips. "It's…I…"

"Speechless?" Dean asked, loving the look of wonder in her eyes.

"It's gorgeous. Where did you get it?" she breathed.

"Ummm…well, you see. I've actually been holding onto it for years," Dean began. "When you were little, your Mom gave it to me. She asked me to give it to you one day."

At the mention of her mother, Skylar froze, turning her eyes away from the pendant and onto Dean. It was difficult to decipher her emotions in that moment. He waited with bated breath as the silence drug on.

"Why now?"

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, furrowing his brow in concentration.

"Why are you giving this to me now?"

"I was waiting for the perfect time, Baby. There is no better time than on your birthday when you are officially a beautifully grown woman."

"It's only my seventeenth, Dean. I'm not technically a grown woman until next year, though you can keep calling me beautiful all you want."

"Well, excuse me for trying to rush you into adult hood so I can feel better about the creepy thoughts I have of you on a daily basis," Dean purred, moving forward to graze the side of her neck gently.

With a gentle laugh, Skylar reached forward to bring him down for a searing kiss. Her lips were softer than they had last night and all the passion she previously held had returned full force. It took everything within him to pull back, but Dean broke the kiss, much to Skylar's obvious disappointment.

"What's wrong?" she asked, a look of hurt on her face.

"Are you going to be alright?" Dean asked, choking on his next words. "After everything I've put you through these past few weeks?"

"I'd rather not talk about it, Dean," she said coldly, her body going ridged in his arms.

"I'm sorry," Dean cooed, reaching out to stroke her arm. "I'm just glad to see you happy this morning. I don't want to ruin it."

Dean took the pendant that he was still clutching in his hand and reached around her neck to clasp it. Skylar took her dark locks, sweeping them over her shoulder until the pendant was secured.

"Thank you for giving this to me," she said in earnest, her blue eyes shining with tears that threatened to spill over.

"Promise me something, Baby Girl," Dean began. Skylar remained silent, but continued to gaze at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. "Promise me that you won't take it off. Promise to wear it always."

He failed to give any further reasoning. But something told him that Cora knew what she was doing. There was something about this pendant that Dean couldn't quite explain. But somehow, he felt that it would offer more protection than he ever could.

 _Dean, once again, found himself at that same house on that same street in the crossroads of America._

 _He sat quietly on the pink plush carpet, watching her eyes light up with excitement. It was her sixth birthday, and not once had he ever missed a birthday. Despite being less than thrilled that this child would one day be his bride, he loved bringing her gifts. He often showered her with presents and rarely showed his face without some sort of offering in his hand. This time he had went all out with a Victorian style dollhouse filled with furniture. It cost a pretty penny but was well worth the look of awe and excitement he received._

" _Would you like some tea?" That sweet voice drifted to his ears and the brightest blue-eyed gaze turned in his direction. Dean smirked._

" _I don't see any tea, Baby Girl."_

 _She rolled her eyes and sighed heavy. "It's pretend, Dean. Of course we don't have real tea, Silly."_

" _Whoa, Whoa," Dean said, placed both hands up in surrender. "Dean Winchester does not do tea parties. Sorry munchkin."_

" _But…"_

" _I have to draw the line somewhere. And that line…" Dean leaned forward until his face was mere inches from her own. The little girl did not cower, but rather held his gaze firmly with a look of amusement on her own tiny face. "…is tea parties."_

 _She giggled before resuming her focus on the tiny figurines inside her new dollhouse. "No one has to know. Your reputation is safe with me."_

" _Never-the-less, I'd rather hold on to what little dignity I have left."_

 _Just then, a knock sounded on the door that had already been left ajar. Cora stepped inside, her beautiful brunette locks falling over her shoulder. Dean clenched his jaw tight and looked away. At seventeen, he was a hormonal teenager who had a habit of fucking anything that looked his way. Cora Evan's was, unfortunately, his type and not yet thirty. The world had played some cruel joke on him when he ended up branded to this beautiful woman's child. He couldn't very well bag his future mother-in-law while his intended bride was still being tucked into bed at night. However, it would serve Ike right if he did fuck the asshole's wife. A momentary grin crossed Dean's lips at the thought._

" _Dean? Would you like to come downstairs for some tea?"_

 _He raised one eyebrow in surprise at the invitation. Usually on these visits, he just hung out with the little spitfire and attempted to avoid her parents at all cost, both for very different reasons._

" _Um," Dean began in confusion before rising from bended knee. "Sure."_

" _Hey! Why will you have tea with, Mommy, but not me?"_

 _Dean bent down and tugged on Skylar's own hair, identical to her mother's. "Because she's offering the real stuff, Sky. Stop being so cheap, and only offering me air to drink."_

 _Her bottom lip stuck out in a giant pout that Dean found adorable, though he would never voice that thought. "I could have filled it with water," she muttered under her breath._

 _Dean followed Cora down the steps and into the kitchen. Apparently, she had prepared for this moment because two mugs had been strategically placed on the island and the kettle was beginning to whistle. Continuing the uncomfortable silence, Dean watched as the older women poured the steaming liquid into his mug, scooting it in his direction._

 _Dean dumped a large spoon full of sugar into his cup. "What's up?"_

 _After dipping her bag several times, Cora took a sip before speaking. "I like how you are with her, Dean. Thank you."_

 _Looking away in embarrassment, Dean rubbed the back of his neck. "You know what being branded is like. After all…you are married to, Ike. I'm just putting in the effort."_

" _And that's the thing. You don't have to. Yes, being branded is an obligation and one's destiny…but there have been hunter's who ran from it. You could have ran."_

 _Dean laughed. "you honestly think Dad would let me run? He drug me here the moment she was born and this damn mark woke me up as it seared into my skin."_

" _But you're almost a grown man now," Cora said with a deep crimson blush that made Dean uncomfortable. "Do you intend to run then?"_

 _He thought about the question. There was a world full of women for the taking, and despite being 'betrothed,' he was having fun with each and every one of them. However, he never let himself get attached because they weren't his destiny. No. His destiny was currently upstairs and counting on him to one day be there for her._

" _I'm not going to run, Cora. Count on it."_

 _With a bright smile, she sat her mug on the counter and moved around to stand beside him. At this point, any lust he had previously felt was gone. "My mother gave something to Ike that he was meant to give me once we were wed. However, he completely forgot about it and I found it only a few short years ago stored in the attack collecting dust. I recognized it as my own mothers, and when I asked him what it was doing in a box upstairs, he shrugged it off like it was no big deal. I suppose I should be happy he wasn't smart enough to try and pawn it._

" _Why are you telling me this?" Dean said with a wry look, not understanding where her story was going._

 _Reaching into her pocket, Cora pulled a large chain out, accompanied by an emerald green pendent hanging from the end. Several diamonds glistened with each movement and Dean's mouth dropped open at the site. "This pendant has been in our family for generations."_

" _It's beautiful," Dean whispered in awe. He wasn't much for gawking over pretty things, but even he knew that something this gorgeous had to be worth a pretty penny._

" _I need you to take it," Cora said, holding the pendent out in determination. Dean watched it sway back and forth, not daring to touch it. "For Sky."_

" _No way," Dean said, holding his hands up like he would be burned the moment he grabbed the damn thing. "If you want her to have it, you give it to her."_

" _It doesn't work that way," Cora smiled sympathetically. She sat down the majestic piece before folding her arms on the counter and pinning him with a soft gaze. "My great-grandmother started the tradition of giving it to her daughter's future husband. I do believe Ike is the first one to lose it though. My mother died before I got married, and until now…until now, I thought it was long lost."_

 _Dean scoffed, his lips twitching nervously. "You want me to hold onto something that valuable for the next decade or two? I live out of a suitcase, Cora. There's no way l won't lose it."_

" _I trust you," she said earnestly, and Dean had no idea what he had done to make Cora Evans have such blind faith in him. She took his hand slowly before dropping the cool object into his palm, closing his fingers around it tightly, before speaking in the softest of tones. "It will one day protect her when she needs it most. Give it to her when the time is right, Dean. Make sure she knows how loved she is…always."_


	27. Chapter 27

Sam rocked back on his heels, one hand in his pocket while the other held a cup of coffee. He brought the cup to his lips as he watched his brother and sister-in-law fight in the back yard. The scene would have been comical if it were under any different circumstance. Dean was smiling ear to ear as he dodged each impending blow. Skylar turned her body a bit too much, causing Sam to wince. As expected, Dean caught her in a locked hold before throwing her to the ground. His brother's normal fighting style was much more relaxed and lacked its usual effort, but he was doing anything but taking it easy on Skylar.

"That had to hurt," Sam muttered to himself, taking another sip.

 _Buzzzzzz Buzzzzzz_

Sam's cell came to life in his pocket. He cocked one eyebrow, wondering who in the hell could be calling him? The only calls he ever received were from Dean and Bobby, and he had been in the presence of both men continuously for nearly a month. He couldn't understand what was taking so long for Lucifer to show himself. Castiel would pop in every now and then to give them the run down while they continued living 'in hiding.' Himself and Dean loathed the thought of cowering, but it wasn't just the two of them anymore.

If Skylar really was the key to hell, they couldn't go in, guns blazing. They actually had to be smart and prepared for any step they took. So, Dean spent this time training her in the same way that John had trained them…with little mercy; even if he was taking it a tad easier on her than their father had with them. After all, she was clearly his biggest weakness.

Reaching in to retrieve his phone, he noticed a number he failed to recognize.

"Hello?" he asked with a question in his voice.

"I'm surprised you answered your fucking phone, Sammy."

Sam held the cell away from his ear and closed his eyes. Each day continued to get worse and worse. It was the one voice he had hoped to never hear from again. The only voice who made him pray for the sweet release of death.

"What do you want, Olivia?"

Olivia tsked, "Now is that any way to speak to your intended bride?"

"We are _not_ getting married," Sam growled. "You made that decision for the both of us when you ran off to Louisiana. Or have those chemicals you use to bleach your hair seeped into your brain a bit too far?"

"Ouch. No need to get all testy, Sammy. Maybe Dean _is_ right. You have always been a little bitch."

"I'm hanging up now," Sam said. He had to get off the phone before he lost his temper, which didn't happen often, but Olivia seemed to have that kind of effect on anyone she came into contact with.

"Wait!"

"What?!" Sam barked.

"Ummmm. I was thinking about coming to visit you…or something. I'm just not sure where to find you. I was hoping you could help a girl out." The sudden nervousness in her voice did not go unnoticed.

"Why would you ever want to visit me? In case you've forgotten, we can't stand each another, Liv."

The back door swung open and an amused Dean came sauntering in, followed by Skylar who was clutching her right shoulder. The door slammed shut, cutting into Sam's concentration.

"We will put some ice on it, Baby. It'll be good as new before ya know it, and then I'll have you throw knives at a makeshift target."

"Shhh," Sam waved his arm to quiet down his brother. "Olivia's on the phone asking where I am," he whispered.

Dean's face fell, replaced by an instant scowl. "Or better yet, I know where we can get a moving target."

Sam gave his older brother a look of warning, but it did nothing to deter Dean from moving forward and reaching to grab the phone. Sam attempted to fight him off, but Dean held firm.

"Givemethedamnphone."

"LetgoDean. Thishasnothingtodowithyou."

"Thehellitdoesn't. Letgoofthefuckingphone."

Their rushed whispers ended when Sam gave up and released his hold, wincing the moment Dean began to speak. "Oliviaaaaa! How's my favorite cunt been?"

"Dear God," Sam closed his eyes.

Dean chuckled as he took a seat at the table, propping his feet up and leaning back. "Those are some choice words coming from some insignificant bitch I can huff and puff and blow the fuck away."

"Can I have my phone back now?" Sam said, tapping his foot out of frustration. Dean's gaze wondered downwards towards Sam's boot, an amused smirk touching the corner of his mouth.

"Oh, you know," Dean spoke into the phone once again. "Sam's just being a little bitch, as per usual."

Sam halted his tapping, realizing that he could be a bit dramatic at times, but he would never understand how Dean could remain casual about nearly everything. His nonstop smirking, eating, laid-back attitude, and up until recently, whoring, were still a mystery to Sam. Unless Sam or Skylar's lives were hanging by a thread, Dean could care less about the curveballs thrown their way.

"So what's this I hear about you wanting to visit Sammy? Something tells me you aren't hoping to rekindle what little "romance" the two of you had going."

"Mmhmm…Ah…well, isn't that nice." Dean rose from the wooden chair and made his way into the kitchen, reaching in to grab an icepack. He seemed to be listening intently at whatever Olivia was saying on the other end as he reached up to remove Skylar's jacket before placing the cold object against her already bruised shoulder. "I'll tell ya what. Why don't you tell us where you are, and we'll come there. We're about to hit the road, so it's not like you'll catch us in time anyway. Take it or leave it."

Sam furrowed his brow. They didn't have plans to leave anytime soon, but similar to his own hesitation, it was evident that Dean wasn't going to give up their current location.

After a few more choice words, Dean told Olivia to text them the address before hanging up.

"Why don't you go take a shower, Beautiful," Dean told Skylar. If there were anyone who hated Sam's ex-fiance more than he and Dean, it was Skylar. Her face had been frozen in annoyance ever since finding out who had been on the other end of the line. Dean showered her scowling face with kisses before a smile cracked the corner of her pink lips. "That's my girl. And while you're upstairs," Dean said, turning his voice up several notches, "I'll have Bobby make you some pancakes and bacon!"

"What does this look like, a damn restaurant?!" The older man yelled back from the bathroom.

Once Skylar was out of earshot and Bobby was still doing his business in the small bathroom on the other side of the kitchen, Dean turned to Sam, a grimace set across his features.

"We have a problem."

* * *

Olivia shut her cell phone slowly, her hand shaking violently.

"They…they won't tell me where they are. They want to come to us."

"So I heard," the soft voice spoke from behind her. "Do you always use choice words like that when speaking to others?"

"They would have suspected something was up if I suddenly changed my attitude and acted nice."

"And you're sure they will bring the girl if we tell them where we are?"

Olivia scoffed. "Dean's always been obsessed with the little tart her whole life. I doubt he will let her out of his sight unless…"

"Unless?" he perked up, listening intently. "Go on…"

"Unless they're at Bobby's," she shrugged hesitantly. "That's the only person they trust more than anyone; even their own Dad when he was alive. Plus, these are the Winchester's we're talking about. They don't the reputation of being the best hunter's to ever live for nothing. They have to know something is up."

"So, we must stay one step ahead of them then. And this Bobby's? Do you know where it is?"

"Somewhere in North Dakota. I don't know where exactly. I've never been there," Olivia confessed, forcing herself to stay rooted in place and not make any sudden movement. Her heart was on the verge of beating out of her chest, and she could feel her blood running cold. He was moving closer to her, and the hair on the nap of her neck was beginning to stand.

She closed her eyes, willing herself to breathe deep, attempting to calm the fear inside her.

"Now, now, child," he cooed, taking one finger to tuck her blonde hair behind her ear before leaning close to whisper. "I promised that I wouldn't kill you if you deliver me my true vessel _and_ my key. If you think they are hiding at Bobby's, I trust your judgement."

"I'm not certain. What if I'm wrong?"

"We will cross that bridge in due time."

For the first time, Olivia turned her head slowly, lifting her dark eyed gaze to the pair of devious ones that stared back at her, beaming a bright red.


End file.
